Permanent Magnet Electromagnetic Actuator for an Electronic Valve Actuation System of an Engine

• US 20070131185A1
• Filed: 10/11/2006
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Liang, Feng, Degner, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,584,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/90.110
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2009/2136 Two opposed springs for intermediate resting position of the armature
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2009/2148 using permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 9/20 by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/28 Layout of windings or of connections between windings windings for pole-changing H02K17/06, H02K17/14, H02K19/12, H02K19/32
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/34 between conductors or between conductor and core, e.g. slot insulation

Abstract

A valve actuator for an internal combustion engine, comprising of a core having a wound coil located therein, the core further having at least one permanent magnet located at least partially within a space defined by the coil and positioned at an angle relative to a direction of movement of an armature, and at least an air gap adjacent to the at least one permanent magnet and wherein the air gap is wholly contained in the core and configured to reduce flux leakage.

Claims

1. A valve actuator for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a core having a wound coil located therein, the core further having at least one permanent magnet located at least partially within a space defined by the coil and positioned at an angle relative to a direction of movement of an armature; and

at least an air gap adjacent to the at least one permanent magnet and wherein the air gap is wholly contained in the core and configured to reduce flux leakage.

2. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein an axis of the wound coil is parallel to the movement of the armature.

3. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one permanent magnet extends substantially fully along a height of the coil.

4. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one permanent magnet is substantially inside the space at least partially defined by the coil.

5. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one permanent magnet includes multiple layers of permanent magnet material.

6. The valve actuator of claim 1, wherein the permanent magnet has a substantially elongated shape and wherein the air gap is located adjacent an end of the permanent magnet.

7. The valve actuator of claim 1, further comprising at least a second permanent magnet adjacent to a second air gap, wherein the second air gap is wholly contained within the core.

8. A valve actuator for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a core;

a wound coil within the core; and

at least a first permanent magnet and a second permanent magnet within the core and at least partially surrounded by the coil, wherein the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet are angled relative to each other;

wherein at least the core and the first permanent magnet define a first air gap wholly interior an outer boundary of the core and wherein at least the core and the second permanent magnet define a second air gap wholly interior the outer boundary of the core.

9. The valve actuator of claim 8, wherein the first and the second permanent magnets are angled relative to a direction of movement of an armature passing through the core and wherein the first and second permanent magnets are at a fixed position relative to the core.

10. The valve actuator of claim 9, wherein the first and the second permanent magnets are arranged on opposing sides of the armature and wherein the first and the second permanent magnets are each angled by the same amount relative to the direction of movement of the armature.

11. The valve actuator of claim 8, wherein at least the first permanent magnet has a substantially elongated shape.

12. The valve actuator of claim 11, wherein the first air gap is adjacent a first end of the first permanent magnet.

13. The valve actuator of claim 12, wherein a third air gap is adjacent to a second opposite end of the first permanent magnet.

14. The valve actuator of claim 12, wherein the second permanent magnet has a shape that is substantially similar to the first permanent magnet, and wherein the second air gap is adjacent an end of the second permanent magnet.

15. The valve actuator of claim 8, wherein at least the core, the first permanent magnet and the second permanent magnet define a third air gap wholly interior an outer boundary of the core.

16. The valve actuator of claim 8, wherein the first and the second air gaps are configured to reduce flux leakage.

17. A valve actuator for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

a core;

a coil within the core;

an armature shaft extending longitudinally through the core, wherein the coil substantially surrounds at least a portion of the shaft in a plane orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of the shaft; and

a first permanent magnet within the core and inclined at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, wherein the coil substantially surrounds at least a portion of the first permanent magnet in a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the shaft;

wherein at least the core and the first permanent magnet define an air gap wholly interior an outer boundary of the core and wherein the first permanent magnet is at a fixed position relative to the core.

18. The valve actuator of claim 17, further comprising a second permanent magnet located within the core, wherein at least the core and the second permanent magnet define a second air gap wholly interior an outer boundary of the core.

19. The valve actuator of claim 18, wherein the second permanent magnet is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft by a substantially similar angle as the first permanent magnet is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and wherein the second permanent magnet is inclined relative to the first permanent magnet.

20. The valve actuator of claim 17, wherein a height of the first permanent magnet along the longitudinal axis of the shaft is substantially similar to a height of the coil along the longitudinal axis of the shaft.