Magnetic rotary locking and tensioning mechanism

Claim 2

A rotatory positioning mechanism, comprising: a first member having a plurality of first magnetiferous conductive elements therein; and a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second magnetiferous conductive elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the magnetiferous conductive elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; wherein said first member comprises a generally rectangular block having a concave semicircular surface for receiving said second member in a spaced relation, said surface forming a recess therein for receipt of the material providing magnetic fields causing said first elements to be attracted and repelled.

Claim 3

A rotary positioning mechanism comprising: a first member having a plurality of first magnetiferous conductive elements therein, which are spaced and parallel therebetween; and a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second magnetiferous conductive elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the second magnetiferous conductive elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; said first elements comprising first, second and third components, said first component having a surface of first polarity proximate said second member, said second component having a surface of second polarity proximate said second member, and said third component having a surface of first polarity proximate said second member; a first magnet disposed between said first and second component so that a surface of first polarity of said first magnet is proximate said first component and a surface of second polarity of said first magnet is proximate said second component; and a second magnet disposed between said second and third components so that a surface of second polarity of said second magnet is proximate said second component and a surface of first polarity of said second magnet is proximate said third component.

Claim 4

A rotary positioning mechanism comprising: a first member having a plurality of first magnetiferous conductive elements therein, which are spaced and parallel therebetween; and a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second magnetiferous conductive elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the second magnetiferous conductive elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; said first elements comprising first, second and third components, said first component having a surface of first polarity proximate said second member, said second component having a surface of second polarity proximate said second member, and said third component having a surface of first polarity proximate said second member; a first magnet disposed between said first and second component so that a surface of first polarity of said first magnet is proximate said first component and a surface of second polarity of said first magnet is proximate said second component; and a second magnet disposed between said second and third components so that a surface of second polarity of said second magnet is proximate said second component and a surface of first polarity of said second magnet is proximate said third component.

Claim 5

A rotary positioning mechanism, comprising: a first member having a plurality of first conductive magnetiferous elements therein; a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second conductive magnetiferous elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the second elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; said second elements comprising first, second, and third spaced components, said first component having a surface of first polarity proximate said first member, said second component having a surface of second polarity proximate said first member, and said third component having a surface of said first polarity proximate said first member; a first magnet disposed between said first and second components so that a surface of first polarity of said first magnet is proximate said first component and a surface of second polarity of said first magnet is proximate said second component; and a second magnet disposed between said second and third components so that a surface of said second polarity of said second magnet is proximate said second component and a said surface of first polarity of said second magnet is proximate said third component.

Claim 6

A rotary positioning mechanism, comprising: a first member having a plurality of first conductive magnetiferous elements therein; a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second conductive magnetiferous elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the second elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; said second elements comprising first, second, and third spaced components, said first component having a surface of first polarity proximate said first member, said second component having a surface of second polarity proximate said first member, and said third component having a surface of said first polarity proximate said first member; a first magnet disposed between said first and second components so that a surface of first polarity of said first magnet is proximate said first component and a surface of second polarity of said first magnet is proximate said second component; and a second magnet disposed between said second and third components so that a surface of said second polarity of said second magnet is proximate said second component and a said surface of first polarity of said second magnet is proximate said third component.

Claim 7

A rotary positioning mechanism, comprising: a first member having a plurality of first conductive magnetiferous elements therein; a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second conductive magnetiferous elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the second elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; said second elements comprising first, second, and third spaced components, said first component having a surface of first polarity proximate said first member, said second component having a surface of second polarity proximate said first member, and said third component having a surface of said first polarity proximate said first member; said first member comprising a generally cylindrical rod having a recess formed therein for receipt of the first magnetiferous elements.

Claim 8

A rotary positioning mechanism, comprising: a first member having a plurality of first conductive magnetiferous elements therein; a second member rotatable with respect to said first member having a plurality of second conductive magnetiferous elements arranged therein so that the first elements are attracted to the second elements at a first angular position of the first member with respect to the second member and are repelled by the second elements at a second angular position of the first member with respect to the second member; said second elements comprising first, second, and third spaced components, said first component having a surface of first polarity proximate said first member, said second component having a surface of second polarity proximate said first member, and said third component having a surface of said first polarity proximate said first member; said first member comprising a generally cylindrical rod having a recess formed therein for receipt of the first magnetiferous elements.

Claim 9

A rotary positioning mechanism, comprising: a base having a concave surface which forms a circular segment; first, second and third parallel strips made of magnetically conductive material positioned in said base with one end of each of the strips being located at said surface, said second strip being between said first and third strips and being aligned with a radius of said concave surface; a first permanent magnet positioned between said first and second strips, said magnet having a surface of a first polarity adjacent to said first strip, and a surface of a second polarity adjacent to said second strip, a second permanent magnet positioned between said second and third strips having a surface of said first polarity positioned adjacent to said third strip, and said second magnet having a surface of said second polarity adjacent to said second strip; and a rod rotatably mounted with respect to said base, said rod having a convex surface close to said base surface, said rod having positioned therein a magnetic assembly which magnetically reacts with said permanent magnets and said strips to cause relative rotation between said rod and said base into either of two angular positions.

Claim 10

A rotary positioning mechanism, comprising: a base having a concave surface which forms a circular segment; first, second and third parallel strips made of magnetically conductive material positioned in said base with one end of each of the strips being located at said surface, said second strip being between said first and third strips and being aligned with a radius of said concave surface; a first permanent magnet positioned between said first and second strips, said magnet having a surface of a first polarity adjacent to said first strip, and a surface of a second polarity adjacent to said second strip, a second permanent magnet positioned between said second and third strips having a surface of said first polarity positioned adjacent to said third strip, and said second magnet having a surface of said second polarity adjacent to said second strip; and a rod rotatably mounted with respect to said base, said rod having a convex surface close to said base surface, said rod having positioned therein a magnetic assembly which magnetically reacts with said permanent magnets and said strips to cause relative rotation between said rod and said base into either of two angular positions.

Claim 11

The mechanism of claim 5, wherein said magnetic assembly includes first, second and third parallel strips of magnetically conductive material positioned in said rod in spaced parallel relation, with the second of said rod strips being positioned between the first and third rod strips, and with the second of said rod strips extending radially with respect to said rod, a third permanent magnet positioned between the first and second rod strips and a fourth permanent magnet positioned between the second and third rod strips, said third magnet having a surface of said second polarity adjacent to said second rod strip, and a surface of said first polarity adjacent to said first rod strip, and said fourth magnet has a surface of said second polarity adjacent to said second rod strip, and said second magnet has a surface of said first polarity adjacent to said third rod strip.