This document describes techniques using, and apparatuses including, switchable magnetic locks. These techniques and apparatuses can enable low or no power consumption and a seamless design for locking and unlocking of devices one to the other, such as computing devices and peripherals.

A door bolt structure of an electronic device includes a door frame, a door panel, and a resilient metallic wire. The door panel is movably disposed at the door frame and provides a hermetic seal to the door frame. The two ends of the resilient metallic wire are connected to the door panel. The resilient metallic wire bends to form hook portions which protrude from the edge of the door panel. When the door panel provides a hermetic seal for the door frame, the hook portions are engaged with an inner edge of the door frame. When pulled, the resilient metallic wire drives the hook portions to separate from the door frame, thereby allowing the door panel to move relative to the door frame.

A lock mechanism of the present disclosure includes an engaging member, an operating member, and a drive mechanism. The drive mechanism translates a linear movement of the operating member between a first position and a second position into a rotation of the engaging member between a first rotational position and a second rotational position so that, when the operating member is moved to the first position, the engaging member is rotated to the first rotational position, and, when the operating member is moved to the second position, the engaging member is rotated to the second rotational position. The engaging member includes a pair of engaging pieces around a rotation shaft center, and an engaging-target portion includes a pair of engaging recesses with which the pair of engaging pieces engages when the engaging member lies at the first rotational position, and from which the pair of engaging pieces disengages when the engaging member lies at the second rotational position.

The description relates to devices and progressive forces between device portions. In one example, an extent of compression of a compressible material component can affect magnetic attraction between the device portions.

An electronic device includes a first unit, a second unit, and a lock mechanism. The lock mechanism includes: an engagement projection provided on a third side surface of the first unit; a latch provided on a fourth side surface of the second unit, the latch being rotatable around a rotation axis provided perpendicular to the fourth side surface between a first rotational position where the latch does not engage with the engagement projection and a second rotational position where the latch is engageable with the engagement projection, and an urging member that urges the latch to be positioned at the second rotational position. The latch has an inclined part. When the latch is located at the second rotational position and the first unit is changed to a closed state from a state where the first unit is not closed, the inclined part abuts on the engagement projection during the change.

An extension device, including a connecting base and an anti-theft lock assembly, is provided. The connecting base includes a housing, a first moving member, a fixed member, and a second moving member. The fixed member is disposed at one side of the housing and includes a lock hole. The second moving member is movably disposed between the first moving member and the fixed member. The anti-theft lock assembly is detachably disposed at one side of the fixed member opposite to the second moving member. The anti-theft lock assembly is adapted to pass through the lock hole of the fixed member and push against the second moving member, so that the second moving member abuts against the first moving member to stop the first moving member at a buckling position. In addition, an electronic system, including the extension device, is also provided.

An external locking device is mounted on a holder. An operation member of the holder is moved between a first position where the operation member is substantially flush with an exterior of the holder and a second position where the operation member protrudes from the exterior. A first electronic device is detached from the holder when the operation member moved to the second position. The external locking device includes a locking member, a shaft member that rotates to a locking position during locking of the locking member and rotates to an unlocking position during unlocking of the locking member, and a moving member. When the shaft member is located at the locking position, the moving member moves to a space where the operation member is to be located at the second position. When the shaft member is located at the unlocking position, the moving member retreats from the space.

A latch structure includes a moving member, a nut and a screw. The moving member includes a base plate, a receiving portion and a limiting portion. The receiving portion has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is connected to the base plate. The limiting portion is disposed at the second end portion of the receiving portion. The nut is fixed into the receiving portion and positioned proximate to the first end portion. The screw is received in the receiving portion and confined to between the limiting portion and the nut.

A method for securing a portable electronic device having a housing to a substantially immovable object utilizing a locking assembly having a security rod or spike formed with an anchoring end separated axially by a protruding end, a locking device with an internal locking mechanism and a cable permanently attached to the locking device at one end, includes several steps. The steps include securedly fixing the anchoring end of the security rod or spike to the portable electronic device upon or through the housing, attaching an other end of the cable to the substantially immovable object and inserting the protruding end of the security rod into an opening in the locking device to actuate the internal locking mechanism and lock the locking device to the captive security rod. Locking the security rod to the locking device concurrently locks the portable electronic device to which it is anchored to the substantially immovable object.

A dual-contact electro-permanent magnet (EPM) assembly of an information handling system may comprise a plurality of high-coercivity magnets situated on opposite ends of a low-coercivity magnet, a first EPM magnetic contact disposed between a first of the plurality of high-coercivity magnets and the low-coercivity magnet, and a second EPM magnetic contact disposed between a second of the plurality of high-coercivity magnets and the low-coercivity magnet. The low-coercivity magnet polarity may correlate to a direction of current pulse applied to an electrically conductive wire coiled around the low-coercivity magnet, and dependent upon the low-coercivity magnet polarity, the first EPM magnetic contact is capable of operating in an attractive magnetic state to attract a ferromagnetic contact of a peripheral device while the second EPM magnetic contact is magnetically neutral with respect to the ferromagnetic contact.