The present invention is a self-adjusting link for connecting two anchors that move under a varying external force, comprising: N magnetic units; N−1 link connectors, each link connector connecting one unit to an adjacent unit, each magnetic unit being held by the link connectors such that each pair
The present invention is a self-adjusting link for connecting two anchors that move under a varying external force, comprising: N magnetic units; N−1 link connectors, each link connector connecting one unit to an adjacent unit, each magnetic unit being held by the link connectors such that each pair of adjacent units can move from a closed position where they are magnetically bound to an open position where they do not exert significant force on each other; and anchor connectors attached to the anchors. The length of the link increases as the external force increases sufficiently to cause one or more pairs of magnetic units to move from the closed position into one of the open positions to permit the anchors to further separate, and the length of the link decreases as the external force is reduced and one or more pairs of magnetic units move into the closed position.
대표청구항▼
1. A collar comprising a partial loop and a self-adjusting link, the partial loop comprising a strip of material having first and second ends with a first anchor at the first end and a second anchor at the second end, the first and second anchors being spaced apart by a distance, and being movable r
1. A collar comprising a partial loop and a self-adjusting link, the partial loop comprising a strip of material having first and second ends with a first anchor at the first end and a second anchor at the second end, the first and second anchors being spaced apart by a distance, and being movable relative to each other so that the distance between the first and second anchors varies according to a varying external force that pulls the anchors away from each other, the self-adjusting link comprising: (a) N magnetic units, each of the N magnetic units comprising a permanent magnet, N being an integer greater than or equal to two, one of the N magnetic units being a first end unit and one of the N magnetic units being a second end unit;(b) N−1 link connectors, each of the N−1 link connectors directly connecting one of the N magnetic units to an adjacent one of the N magnetic units, each of the N magnetic units together with an adjacent one of the N magnetic units being a pair of adjacent magnetic units, each of the N magnetic units being held by the N−1 link connectors in an orientation such that each pair of adjacent magnetic units can move from a closed position, in which the magnetic units in the pair of adjacent magnetic units are sufficiently close together that they are bound together by magnetic force, to one of a plurality of open positions in which the magnetic units in the pair of adjacent magnetic units are spaced apart so that the permanent magnets in the pair of adjacent magnetic units do not exert significant magnetic force on each other; and(c) first and second anchor connectors, wherein the first end unit is attached to the first anchor by the first anchor connector and the second end unit is attached to the second anchor by the second anchor connector,wherein the distance between the first and second anchors, being the length of the self-adjusting link, increases as the external force increases sufficiently to cause one or more of the pairs of adjacent magnetic units to move from the closed position into one of the open positions to permit the first and second anchors to further separate, and the length of the self-adjusting link decreases as the external force is reduced and one or more of the pairs of adjacent magnetic units move from one of the open positions into the closed position. 2. The collar of claim 1, wherein N is at least 3 so that N−2 magnetic units are interior magnetic units that are each directly connected to two other of the N magnetic units, and the first and second end units of the N magnetic units are each directly connected to only one of the N−2 interior magnetic units. 3. The collar of claim 1, wherein the link connectors bias each pair of adjacent magnetic units into the closed position. 4. The collar of claim 1, wherein N is at least three so that there is at least one interior magnetic unit. 5. The collar of claim 1, wherein each of the permanent magnets has first and second ends, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, and front and back faces, wherein the N−1 link connectors hold the N magnetic units so that the longitudinal axes of all the permanent magnets are substantially aligned so that the front face of a first permanent magnet of the N magnetic units is adjacent to the back face of an adjacent second permanent magnet of the N magnetic units when the magnetic units comprising the first and second permanent magnets are in the closed position, and the polarity of the front face of the first permanent magnet is opposite to the polarity of the back face of the second permanent magnet of the N magnetic units. 6. The collar of claim 5, wherein the link connectors bias each pair of adjacent magnetic units into the closed position. 7. The collar of claim 5, wherein the permanent magnets are each cuboids having a height, width and thickness, the height being the length of the longitudinal axis between the first and second ends, so that each of six faces of each permanent magnet is substantially rectangular. 8. The collar of claim 5, wherein each of the N magnetic units has first and second longitudinal edges parallel to the longitudinal axis of the permanent magnet of the magnetic unit, and wherein each of the N−1 link connectors connects to the first longitudinal edge of one of the N magnetic units in each pair of adjacent magnetic units via a first hinge and connects to the second longitudinal edge of the adjacent magnetic unit via a second hinge, so that each of the N magnetic units can rotate in the same rotational direction around the hinge connecting it to one of the N−1 link connectors, so that the magnetic units in the pair of adjacent magnetic units can move between the closed position and one of the open positions, and wherein the bias provided by the connecting members causes all the permanent magnets to rotate in the same rotational direction into the closed position when the external force is sufficiently reduced. 9. The collar of claim 8, wherein the hinges bias each pair of adjacent magnetic units into the closed position. 10. The collar of claim 8, wherein each hinge constrains the magnetic units in the pair of adjacent magnetic units connected to the hinge from moving more than 180 degrees around the hinge from the closed position. 11. The collar of claim 8, wherein the N−1 link connectors are made from a ferromagnetic material. 12. The collar of claim 1, wherein each permanent magnet of the N magnetic units has first and second ends, and a longitudinal axis therebetween, the first and second ends of each permanent magnet of the N magnetic unit have opposite polarity, and, for each pair of first and second adjacent permanent magnets of the N magnetic units, the polarity of the first end of the first permanent magnet of the N magnetic units is opposite to the polarity of the first end of the second permanent magnet of the N magnetic units. 13. The collar of claim 12, wherein the permanent magnets of the N magnetic units are each cuboid. 14. The collar of claim 12, wherein the permanent magnets of the N magnetic units are each cylindrical. 15. The collar of claim 1, wherein the N−1 link connectors comprise portions of a continuous piece of flexible material that extends around all the N magnetic units. 16. The collar of claim 15, wherein the self-adjusting link has a maximum length, and the flexible material surrounds the permanent magnets; wherein the anchor connectors each comprise portions of the piece of flexible material, and the flexible material comprises two strips of tape, each having a length approximately equal to the maximum length of the self-adjusting link. 17. The collar of claim 1, wherein the strip of material is a strip of flexible material. 18. A collar comprising a partial loop of bendable material having two ends that are spaced apart by a gap length that varies as the material bends according to application and removal of an external force, each end having an anchor, and a self-adjusting link, the self-adjusting link comprising: (a) N magnetic units, each of the N magnetic units comprising a permanent magnet, N being an integer greater than or equal to two, one of the N magnetic units being a first end unit and one of the N magnetic units being a second end unit;(b) N−1 link connectors, each of the N−1 link connectors directly connecting one of the N magnetic units to an adjacent one of the N magnetic units, each of the N magnetic units together with an adjacent one of the N magnetic units being a pair of adjacent magnetic units, each of the N magnetic units being held by the N−1 link connectors in an orientation such that each pair of adjacent magnetic units can move from a closed position, in which the magnetic units in the pair of adjacent magnetic units are sufficiently close together that they are bound together by magnetic force, to one of a plurality of open positions in which the magnetic units in the pair of adjacent magnetic units are spaced apart so that the permanent magnets in the pair of adjacent magnetic units do not exert significant magnetic force on each other; and(c) first and second anchor connectors, wherein the first end unit is attached to the first anchor by the first anchor connector and the second end unit is attached to the second anchor by the second anchor connector,wherein the distance between the first and second anchors, being the length of the self-adjusting link, increases as the external force increases sufficiently to cause one or more pairs of adjacent N magnetic units to move from the closed position into one of the open positions to permit the first and second anchors to further separate, and the length of the self-adjusting link decreases as the external force is reduced and one or more of the pairs of adjacent magnetic units move from one of the open positions into the closed position, wherein the length of the link in different configurations varies between a minimum gap length and a maximum gap length.
Griffin William D. (Rte. 2 ; Box 53A Brimfield IL 61517) Griffin ; II William D. (3107 W. Willow Knolls Dr. Peoria IL 61614), Reversible magnetic therapeutic device and method of use.
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