High efficiency electromagnetic coil apparatus and method

• US 5,107,366 A
• Filed: 09/28/1989
• Issued: 04/21/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Thermo Nicolet Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nicolet Instrument Corporation (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Huang, Yuchi, Burch, Robert V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Arnold, Bruce Y.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, James
• Application Number:
  US07/414,178
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 350/484, 350/486, 350/631, 350/640, 310/13, 310/27, 310/38, 310/15, 310/17, 123/599, 354/234.1, 335/299, 336/208, 356/346, 356/345
• US Class Current: 359/223.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 41/127 Encapsulating or impregnating encapsulating coil and core H01F41/005
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 3/00 Details of windings

Abstract

An electromagnetic coil is wound on a circular mold and potted with a potting compound in order to eliminate the bobbin which is used with prior art electromagnetic coils. The potting technique can be advantageously applied to coils wound on any shape mold and to coils wound with wire of any cross-sectional shape. In the preferred embodiment the "bobbinless" coil is wound on a cylindrical mold and uses wire which has been partially flattened to improve the density of the coil. The flattened wire is preferably made by flattening ordinary wire copper to an aspect ratio of about 1.5. In an alternate embodiment, the bobbinless coil is wound with ordinary circular wire. In the preferred embodiment, the bobbinless coil forms part of a linear motor for use in driving the movable mirror in an interferometer spectrometer. In this application the coil provides a strong flux density and a strong force, yet occupies a relatively small volume.

Claims

1. A moving mirror assembly for an interferometer, comprising:

(a) an interferometer housing;

(b) a support element;

(c) a mirror, connected to the support element;

(d) a bobbinless electromagnetic coil, connected to the support element, wherein the bobbinless electromagnetic coil is potted in a potting compound so that the coil is supported by the potting compound; and

(e) means for connecting the support element to the interferometer housing to allow back and forth motion to provide back and forth scanning motion of the mirror as the coil is activated.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the coil wire has a noncircular cross-section.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the coil wire has two flat sides.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the coil wire has four flat sides.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the coil wire has a semi-rectangular cross-section.

6. A moving mirror assembly for an interferometer, comprising:

(a) a support element;

(b) a mirror, connected to the support element; and

(c) a bobbinless electromagnetic coil, connected to the support element, wherein the bobbinless electromagnetic coil is potted in a potting compound, wherein the wire has a semi-rectangular cross-section having an aspect ratio of about 1.5.

7. A method of producing a moving mirror assembly for an interferometer, comprising the steps of:

(a) coating a wire with a potting compound;

(b) winding the wire onto a mold;

(c) hardening the potting compound;

(d) removing the coil from the mold; and

(e) connecting the coil to a support element of the moving mirror assembly.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said winding step includes the step of altering the wire to a noncircular cross-section.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said winding step includes the step of flattening the wire to produce two flat sides.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said winding step includes the step of flattening the wire to produce four flat sides.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said winding step includes a step of flattening the wire to produce a semi-rectangular cross-section.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said winding step includes the step of winding preformed noncircular wire onto the mold.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein coating step includes the step of coating the wire with an epoxy adhesive.

14. A method of producing a moving mirror assembly for an interferometer, comprising the steps of:

(a) coating a wire with a potting compound;

(b) winding the wire onto a mold, wherein said winding step includes the step of flattening the wire to produce a semi-rectangular cross-section having an aspect ratio of about 1.5;

(c) hardening the potting compound;

(d) removing the coil from the mold; and

(e) connecting the coil to a support element of the moving mirror assembly.