US20080005873A1

US20080005873A1 - Magnetic pushpin

Info

Publication number: US20080005873A1
Application number: US11/818,719
Authority: US
Inventors: Priscilla Barton; Ryan Vernon; Juan C. Escobar
Original assignee: Helen of Troy Ltd
Current assignee: Helen of Troy Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-06
Filing date: 2007-06-15
Publication date: 2008-01-10

Abstract

A pushpin which is readily adaptable for use as a pushpin or a magnet is disclosed. The pushpin includes a first body having opposing surfaces, a pin member extending from the body, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned opposite the pin member on the body. The pushpin also includes a second body having opposing surfaces, an opening, a cavity beginning at the opening and extending into the second body, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned on the second body. The particular pushpin cavity is configured to conceal the pin and at least one of either the magnetically susceptible component on the first body and the magnetically susceptible component on the second body is magnetic. Retention means for retaining the pin when it is inserted into the cavity are also provided within the cavity and include friction applied to the pin by a cavity wall. Lining at least a portion of the cavity with a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) material, or providing a plug of such or similar material within the cavity for piercing by the pin, provides such friction.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION

In accordance with 35 U.S.C. 120, this application claims the earlier filing benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/818,937, filed on Jul. 6, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present device relates to pushpins used to secure material such as photos, papers, and the like to a vertical surface. Particularly, the present device relates to magnetic pushpins having multiple uses.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Pushpins, or thumbtacks as they are more commonly known, are used to secure articles such as drawings, photos, cards, notes and other such documents on a support surface such as a wall, ceiling or a bulletin board. Conventional pushpins have a head and a pin projecting outwardly from the head. The pin has a tip for insertion through the article and into the support surface.
A drawback of these conventional pushpins is the damage that can be caused when the pin pierces the article, especially photographs, causing a permanent hole. Another problem with the typical pushpin relates to safety. When not in use, the exposed tip of the pushpin can cause painful injury to the hands, feet or other areas of an unwary person. Still another problem with some pushpins is the difficulty in removing such devices from a support surface after they have been firmly inserted.
One solution provided to address some of these problems is the use of magnetic bulletin boards. The board is configured to resemble a typical bulletin board, but rather than the soft, penetrable surface suitable for pushpins, a metal or magnetic metal surface is provided. A series of small magnets can then be used for posting on the board. Articles may be posted without damage. Pointed ends are unnecessary, which prevents any accidental puncture injuries. And, the magnets are easily slid or lifted off the article when removal is desired.
However, these magnetic boards are typically several times the weight of the usual bulletin board and far more costly. Further, the small magnets used on magnetic boards provide no benefit where only standard boards are available.
The present device solves these and other problems associated with prior art devices by providing a pushpin which is readily adaptable to either convention, pushpin and magnetic board, as well as by providing safety and ease of operation features not found in prior art devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein an improved magnetic pushpin which avoids the disadvantages of prior devices while affording additional structural and operating advantages.
In a preferred embodiment, a pushpin comprising a first body having first and second opposing surfaces, a pin member extending from the first surface, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned at the second surface, and a second body having first and second opposing surfaces, an opening defined on the first surface, a cavity beginning at the opening and extending into the second body, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned at the second surface, is disclosed. The particular pushpin cavity is configured to conceal the pin and at least one of either the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body and the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body is magnetic. It is an aspect of the invention to provide a retention means for retaining the pin when it is inserted into the cavity. In a preferred embodiment, the retention means is within the cavity and comprises friction applied to the pin by a cavity wall. Lining at least a portion of the cavity with a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) material provides such friction.
These and other aspects of the invention may be understood more readily from the following description and the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of the subject matter sought to be protected, there are illustrated in the accompanying drawings embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, the subject matter sought to be protected, its construction and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of the present pushpin invention in a first configuration;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the present pushpin invention in a second configuration;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of an embodiment of the present pushpin invention;

FIG. 5 is a cross-section of an alternate embodiment of the present pushpin invention showing the two halves separated; and

FIG. 6 is another cross-section of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 showing the pin member piercing the membrane in the cavity of the second body.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While this invention is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the invention with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the broad aspect of the invention to embodiments illustrated.
For purposes of the present application, the following are definitions should be applied for each of the listed terms and phrases, or variations thereof:
“Magnetically susceptible” refers to a material, for example iron or steel, which has the ability to be attracted by a magnet.
“Magnetic” refers to a component which is capable of attracting iron, steel, or a magnetically susceptible material.
“Magnetically connected” or “magnetically connectable” refers to a component which is held or is capable of being held in a position by the attractive forces of a magnet.
Referring to FIGS. 1-6, there is illustrated embodiments of a pushpin, generally designated by the numeral 10. The pushpin 10 is comprised of a first body 12 and a second body 14, which are attachable to, but independent of one another. In fact, the first and second bodies 12, 14 are attachable to one another in at least two distinct ways, which will be explained in further detail below.
In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1-5, the first body 12 includes opposing surfaces, i.e., first surface 20 and second surface 21, and a pin member 16 extending from the first surface 21. The pin member 16 is preferably made of metal, but may be constructed from a rigid plastic or other such suitable hard and sturdy material. The second body 14 also includes first and second opposing surfaces 22 and 23, respectively, as well as an opening 18 defined on the first surface 22. A cavity 19 begins at the opening 18 of the first surface 22 on the second body 14 and extends into the core 25 of the second body 14.
One manner of attaching the two bodies 12 and 14 together is achievable because the opening 18 is sized sufficiently to allow the passage of the pin member 16 into the cavity 19. As illustrated in the embodiment of FIG. 4, the cavity 19 of the second body 14 comprises retention means 26 for retaining the pin member 16 of the first body 12 when it is inserted into the cavity 19. The retention means 26 is preferably provided by the use of a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) material lining at least a portion of, and preferably the entire cavity 19 of the second body 14. The TPR material is used to such that it contacts the inserted metal pin member 16 and frictionally retains it within the cavity 19.
Alternatively, a small plug 27 of TPR may be positioned within the cavity, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. Much like the lining of TPR, the purpose is to engage the pin member 16 and retain it within the cavity 19. However, the plug 27 is intended to be pierced by the pin member 16, as shown in FIG. 6, with every insertion. The plug 27 is preferably about 1.4 mm thick, though thickness variations are contemplated to suit different needs.
A small detent connection (not shown), such as an annular bump and corresponding recess, may be used in addition to or instead of the TPR material. The concealment of the pin member 16 in this fashion provides a key safety feature minimizing the risk of accidental injury from an exposed point. This configuration also provides a useful way of keeping the two bodies 12 and 14 together to maximize potential uses.
A second manner of attaching the two bodies 12, 14 together is by magnetically connecting them. In one embodiment of the present invention, the first body 12 comprises a magnetically susceptible material 30, such as a steel plate, mounted in the second surface 21. Alternatively, a magnet may be mounted within the second surface 21 of the first body 12. Likewise, the second body 14 preferably comprises a magnet 32 mounted within, such that the magnet 32 has a surface substantially flush with the second surface 23. Where a magnet is used in the first body 12, a magnetically susceptible material may be used in the second body 14. Using such configurations enables the second surface 21 of the first body 12 to be magnetically connected to the second surface 23 of the second body 14 when the two are brought together.
In use, when the two bodies 12, 14 are frictionally engaged, as shown in FIG. 1, the pushpin 10 is capable of functioning with a magnetic bulletin board (not shown) or most any other magnetically susceptible surface (not shown) to retain or post an article (not shown). For example, where a magnetic board (i.e., the board is actually implanted with magnets) is used, an article may be sandwiched between the board and either second surface (21 or 23) of the two bodies—these surfaces may comprise a magnet or a magnetically susceptible material. Where posting is to be on a magnetically susceptible surface, such as steel or iron, then the item may be sandwiched between the surface and the magnetic surface of the pushpin 10.
As shown in FIG. 3, the second attachment configuration allows the pin member 16 to be used in a known manner. Additionally, by sandwiching an article between the two magnetically connectable bodies 12 and 14, the item may be posted to a standard pin board (not shown) without damage to the article. Naturally, the pin member 16 may also be used to pierce the article, if desired. In the latter use, the second body 14 may be used separately on a magnet board as described above.
Naturally, when separated, the two bodies 12, 14 may function independently, the first body 12 as a traditional pushpin and the second body 14 as a magnetic pushpin (or with a magnetic bulletin board).
Another feature of the present invention includes the ease with which the pin member 10 may be removed from a board. The first body 12 is preferably designed having a substantially frusto-conical shape—i.e., having a circular cross-section with an outwardly tapered sidewall—as shown in FIG. 3. By gripping the sidewall 34 of the first body 12, the inward pressure exerted on the sidewall 34 will be transferred into a force which moves the pin 10 in a direction opposite the pin—i.e., out of the board. This will assist removal of the pushpin 10. Likewise, the hourglass-shape of the second body 14 makes gripping and removal of the second body 14 equally trouble-free. By coordinating the width of the first surfaces 20 and 22 of the two bodies 12 and 14, the look of the hourglass shape is maintained when the bodies are connected as shown in FIG. 1. The same ease of removal is provided when the two bodies 12, 14 are being separated from one another in this configuration.
The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as a limitation. While particular embodiments have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the broader aspects of applicants' contribution. The actual scope of the protection sought is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective based on the prior art.

Claims

1. A pushpin comprising:

a first body having first and second surfaces, a pin member extending from the first surface, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned at the second surface; and

a second body having first and second surfaces, an opening defined on the first surface, a cavity beginning at the opening and extending into the second body, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned at the second surface;

wherein the cavity is configured to conceal the pin and wherein at least one of either the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body and the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body is magnetic.

2. The pushpin of claim 1, wherein the cavity is configured to accommodate the pin.

3. The pushpin of claim 2, further comprising a retention means for retaining the pin when it is inserted into the cavity.

4. The pushpin of claim 3, wherein the retention means is within the cavity.

5. The pushpin of claim 3, wherein the retention means comprises a length of material within the cavity which is pierced by the pin when the pin is inserted to a depth into the cavity.

6. The pushpin of claim 5, wherein the retention means comprises friction applied to the pin by a cavity wall.

7. The pushpin of claim 3, wherein the retention means comprises lining at least a portion of the cavity with a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) material.

8. The pushpin of claim 1, wherein the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body is magnetic.

9. The pushpin of claim 1, wherein the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body is magnetic.

10. The pushpin of claim 1, wherein both the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body and the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body are magnetic.

11. The pushpin of claim 1, wherein a width of the first surface of the first body is equal to a width of the first surface of the second body.

12. The pushpin of claim 11, wherein a width of the second surface of the first body is equal to a width of the second surface of the second body.

13. The pushpin of claim 1, wherein the second surface of the first body is magnetically connectable to the second surface of the second body.

14. A pushpin comprising:

a frusto-conical first body having first and second opposing surfaces, a pin member extending from the first surface, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned at the second surface; and

a substantially hourglass-shaped second body having first and second opposing surfaces, an opening defined on the first surface, a cavity beginning at the opening and extending into the second body, and a magnetically susceptible component positioned at the second surface;

wherein the cavity comprises a retention means for retaining the pin when inserted into the cavity and at least one of either the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body and the magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body is magnetic.

15. The pushpin of claim 14, wherein a width of the first surface of the first body is equal to a width of the first surface of the second body.

16. The pushpin of claim 15, wherein a width of the second surface of the first body is equal to a width of the second surface of the second body.

17. The pushpin of claim 14, wherein the retention means comprises friction applied to the pin by a cavity wall.

18. The pushpin of claim 17, wherein the retention means comprises lining at least a portion of the cavity with a thermoplastic rubber (TPR) material.

19. A pushpin comprising:

a first body having first and second opposing surfaces and a pin member extending from the first surface; and

a second body having first and second opposing surfaces, an opening defined on the first surface, and a cavity beginning at the opening and extending into the second body;

wherein the cavity comprises a retention means for retaining the pin member when inserted into the cavity and the second surface of the first body is magnetically connectable to the second surface of the second body.

20. The pushpin of claim 19, further comprising a magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body.

21. The pushpin of claim 19, further comprising a magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body.

22. The pushpin of claim 19, further comprising a magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the first body and a magnetically susceptible component at the second surface of the second body.

23. The pushpin of claim 19, wherein the retention means comprises a length of material within the cavity which is pierced by the pin member when the pin member is inserted to a depth into the cavity.