United States Patent
`
`[:91
`
`{111
`
`3,716,091
`
`Gaines
`[451 Feb. 13, 1973
`
`[54] p MAGNETIC CLOSURE
`[76]
`Inventor:
`
`Alvin M. Gaines, 219 B Shadow
`Park, Gwinnette County, Near Nor-
`cross, Ga. 30071
`
`FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS
`
`355,912
`1,201,673
`
`9/1961
`7/1959
`
`Switzerland ..................... 220/55 MG
`France .............................. 292/25 1.5
`
`[22]
`
`Filed:
`
`Sept. 14, 1970
`
`[21] Appl. No.: 71,696
`
`[52] US. Cl. ................. 150/40, 70/456 R, 206/37 K,
`206/DIG. 33, 220/55 MG, 292/251.5
`Int. Cl. ......................... A45c 11/32, EOSC 17/56
`Field of Search ........ 206/37 K, DIG. 33; 150/40;
`220/55 MG; 292/251.5; 70/456 B, 456 R
`
`[51]
`[58]
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
`
`UNITED STATES PATENTS
`
`3,468,576
`2,041,259
`2,408,150
`1,403,087
`1,424,121
`1,621,831
`2,091,545
`
`9/1969
`Beyer et a1. ....................... 292/2515
`5/1936 Morrison ........
`.220/D1G. 26 UX
`
`9/ 1 946 Moeller ........................... 206/42
`
`Largman ........... 150/40
`1/1922
`
`Staples ................. 150/40
`7/1922
`
`Colvin................... 70/456 B
`3/1927
`Hovey et al. ........................ 70/456 B
`8/1937
`
`Primary Examiner—Leonard Summer
`Attorney—Patrick F. Henry
`
`[5 7 ]
`
`ABSTRACT
`
`A magnetic closure for keycases, pocketbooks, wal-
`lets, and other containers which provides a positive
`opening as well as a closing by means of magnets with
`respective North and South poles so positioned as to
`bring opposite poles into proximity for positive closing
`and like poles into proximity for opening. One panel
`of the keycase or other container is provided with the
`sliding magnet and another panel of the keycase has
`the fixed magnet whereby manually sliding one with
`respect to the other causes the magnets to assume the
`position of similar or dissimilar polarity.
`
`The keys are held by fixed loops and a flexible wire.
`
`3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures
`
`
`
`APPLE 1055
`
`1
`
`APPLE 1055
`
`

`

`PATENTEDFEBWIQH
`
`_
`
`3,716,091
`
` .
`
`7/;
`
`//v l/EN 70R
`ALV NM GAMES
`
`d"
`
`”
`
`,4 T70R/V Y
`
`2
`
`

`

`1
`MAGNETIC CLOSURE
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ,
`
`1. Field of the Invention
`
`3,716,091
`
`2
`
`Closures for pocketbooks, keycases, wallets and the 5
`like. Magnetic closures for keycases.
`.
`2. Description of the Prior Art
`Broadly the use of magnetic material or magnets for
`closures is old. Specifically magnets have been used as
`closures for pocketbooks as shown by US. Pat. No.
`2,327,532 but such magnets are fixed and provide only
`limited magnetic attraction for holding the pocketbook
`closed and such magnetic force must be small enough
`to be overcome easily by hand. Such arrangements do
`not provide any motion of one magnet to assist in clos-
`ing or opening and merely provide an arrangement of
`opposite magnet poles to hold the device closed and
`manual force necessary to pull them apart.
`
`IO
`
`15
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`20
`
`One panel in a keycase or wallet or the like has
`another panel attached thereto and the panels are rela-
`tively movable. A fixed magnet is fiXed to one panel
`and a movable magnet is mounted on the other panel so 25
`that the movable magnet may be relocated to change
`the position of the North and South poles — it being
`well known that like'magnetic poles-repulse and unlike'
`magnetic poles attract. Unlike prior art closures which
`have a fixed amount of magnetism between magnets 30
`which must be overcome by. manual force to pull the
`keycase or pocketbookapart, thepresent arrangement
`movable magnet is moved-manually a small amount
`which causes the Opposite poles to separate and like
`poles to come into proximity thereby opening the latch
`or closure. A stronger magnetic attraction may be pro-
`vided in closed position since shifting of the magnet will
`overcome this attraction without a lot of manual force
`
`35
`
`from the fingers. Keysmay be mounted on a flexible
`cord in fixed rigid loops.
`
`40
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TI-IE DRAWINGS
`
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical keycase with
`the present magnetic closure thereon and in open posi-. 45
`tion.
`*
`
`FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the loop arrange-
`ment in FIG. 1.
`
`FIG 3 is a top plan view of the loop arrangement in
`FIG. 1.
`-
`i 50
`
`.
`
`FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken along lines 4—
`4 in'FlG; l with parts removed.
`,
`FIG. 5 is a cross‘sectional view taken along lines 5—
`Sin FIG. 1 with parts removed.
`FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a detail of the latch.
`
`' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENT,
`
`A typical keycase is designated by reference number
`10 in FIG.
`1 and comprises two panels 12, and 14
`which for sake of description may be considered as the
`stationary panel 12 which holds the keys in the hand
`and movable panel 14 which moves out of the way to'
`expose the keys for use. Panels 12 and 14 are mounted '
`together by means of a hinge 16 ‘of conventional con—
`struction comprising fixed plate 18 attached by glue or
`otherwise to panel 14, a fixed plate 20 attached by'glue
`
`55
`
`.60
`
`65
`
`or otherwise to panel 12, and a pivot pin 22 through
`matching, alternate hinge loops 24.
`Panels 12 and 14, which may be molded from plastic,
`or made of covered metal, or any conventional case
`and container construction, have turned edges 26 and
`the top of the edge 26 on panel 12 bent upon itself, at
`28 and provided with openings 30. The bent, looped
`wire 32 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is inserted through
`openings 30 by extending each loop 34 through a
`respective hole 30 and then the material of edge 28 is
`turned against the wire 32 to hold it in place. A flexible
`cable of nylon, plastic, wire and the like 36 is looped
`through each loop 34 and has its ends fixed in the
`material of the bent edge 28. Keys are placed on the
`flexible loops of wire 36.
`Front edge 40 of panel 12 has a slot of 41 in which is
`mounted a magnet latch member 42 shown in FIG. 6
`comprising a block 44 with finger protrusions 46 and a
`support member 48 which extends inside the case 10
`and on which is glued or otherwise mounted a magnet
`50 having a North pole and a South pole as shown.
`Panel 14 has a magnet 52 with North pole and South
`pole and it is glued or otherwise secured in place on
`panel 14 opposite the magnet 50 in panel 12 when the
`panels are closed against each other. However, latch
`member 42 moves slightly in its slot to bring the South
`pole of its magnet 50 against the North pole of magnet
`'52 in one position (the closed, latched position) and
`movement of the latch member 42 in the other
`
`direction brings the South poles of each magnet 50, 52
`.in close proximity initially thereby causing repulsion
`and opening of the panels 12, 14.
`While this has been illustrated with a keycase, it may
`be applied to other cases such as wallets, suitcases, in-
`strument cases and in fact any case or device which has
`a closure. Therefore, while I have shown and described
`a particular case (keycase) and a special arrangement,
`this is by way of illustration only and does not con-
`stitute any sort of limitation on my invention as various
`changes, alterations, omissions, additions, deviations,
`and departures may be made in the embodiment shown
`without avoiding the claims hereinafter.
`‘
`What is claimed:
`
`In -a magnetic closure and the like, such as a
`1.
`keycase, wherein there is one panel which is movable
`relative to another panel:
`a. a first panel having a movable latch member
`thereon and a magnet movably mounted on said
`panel to be moved by said latch member,
`b. a second panel having a fixed magnet thereon op-
`posite said movable magnet, said magnets being
`relatively movable with respect to each other,
`c. both of said magnets having North and South poles
`- thereon and in closed condition said panels being
`latched by the magnetic attractions of said op-
`posite poles being close enough to attract and said
`'latch member being movable by hand to bring said
`. like pOIes close enough to cause repulsion thereby
`opening said closure,
`»
`said keycase having a loop member thereon with a
`plurality of loops therein; and a flexible key
`retainer member running through said loops
`providing other loops between said loops in said
`loop member, and'keys strung on at least some
`of said loops.
`
`'
`
`3
`
`

`

`3
`
`3,716,091
`
`2. The device in claim 1: said fixed loops being
`formed from a continuous member‘
`3. The device in claim 2: said fixed loop continuous
`member being mounted on said case inside one of the
`edges thereof bent upon itself.
`3k
`*
`*
`
`*
`
`*
`
`5
`
`10
`
`15
`
`20
`
`25
`
`30
`
`35
`
`40
`
`45
`
`50
`
`55
`
`60
`
`65
`
`4
`
`