Actuator for a fluid valve

• US 7,164,336 B2
• Filed: 05/23/2003
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Parker Hannifin GmbH & Co. KG (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Parker Hannifin GmbH & Co. KG (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Budig, Peter-Klaus, Werner, Ralf, Rausch, Hartmuth
• Primary Examiner(s): Enad; Elvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rojas; Bernard
• Application Number:
  US10/443,237
• Publication Number:
  US 20040003849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 335220-231, 335234-235, 310/12, 31015638-15647, 2511291-12919
• US Class Current: 335/220
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/066 Electromagnets with movable winding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8242 Electrical

Abstract

The invention relates to an actuator for actuating a valve installed in a hydraulic or compressed air system comprising a coil support which can be displaced by means of air space induction in a magnetically conducting housing on a magnetic cylinder composed of a permanent magnet and a cylinder pole disk. The invention is characterized in that the dimensions of the permanent magnet and the pole disk correspond to each other in such a way that the diameter of the front surface of the permanent magnet is at least the same size as the circumferential surface of a neighboring pole disk and that the width of the coil associated with the pole disk exceeds the width of the pole disk by the lift amplitude of the coil support. According to the invention, the actuator for actuating a valve used in fluidic engineering is disposed in such a way that the coil support is displaceable in a fluidic medium and the air gap arranged between the coil support and a magnetic cylinder pipe surrounding the permanent magnet and the associated pole disk has a maximum width whereby a laminated lubricating film is formed without displacing the surrounding fluid.

Claims

1. An actuator for actuating a valve in a fluid system, the actuator comprising a closed housing shell made of a magnetically conductive material, circumscribing a central axis and containing a non-magnetic fluid medium, a coil support having an actuation projection and being axially displaceable within the fluid in the housing shell and forming a first air gap with respect to the shell, with at least one current-carrying coil wound onto the circumference of the coil support and extending along a predetermined axial extent of the support, and with a cylindrical magnet tube enclosed by the coil support and forming a second air gap with respect to the support, with a sequence of a permanent magnet and a pole disk made of a magnetically conductive material arranged axially in the tube'"'"'s interior, wherein the axial extent of the coil is greater than the axial extension of the pole disk associated with the coil, and the dimensions of the permanent magnet and the pole disk correspond to one another such that i) the end face cross-sectional area of the permanent magnet corresponds to at least the circumferential surface of the pole disk;

and ii) the axial extent of the coil associated with the pole disk overlaps the axial extension of the pole disk by the stroke amplitude of the coil support, wherein the width of the second air gap between the coil support and the cylindrical magnet tube is sufficient such that a laminar lubricating film is established between the cylindrical magnet tube and coil support without displacing fluid surrounding the coil support when the coil support is displaced.

2. The actuator as in claim 1, wherein the coil support has an end face with a support star including radially inwardly projecting spokes, in the center of which is a tappet is connected which protrudes from the housing shell as an actuation projection.

3. The actuator as in claim 2, wherein the housing shell encloses the coil support and the cylindrical magnet tube, and wherein the tappet extends through an opening in an associated end face of the housing shell.

4. The actuator as in claim 3, wherein the end face of the housing shell is made of a magnetically conductive material, and a spacer made of a magnetically non-conductive material is arranged at an end of the cylindrical magnet tube facing the housing shell end face.

5. The actuator as in claim 3, wherein the end face of the housing shell is made of a magnetically non-conductive material.

6. The actuator as in claim 1, wherein a magnet module is formed by a permanent magnet centered inside the cylindrical magnet tube and by two pole disks arranged on opposite sides of the permanent magnet, wherein each pole disk in the magnet module is associated with a coil on the coil support, and wherein the coil windings of a magnet module are wound in opposite directions and are mechanically and electrically connected with each other.

7. The actuator as in claim 6, wherein the housing shell encloses the magnet module.

8. The actuator as in claim 6, wherein a plurality of magnet modules are disposed axially one next to another within the housing shell, wherein like poles of the permanent magnet of each magnet module are located axially opposite one another.

9. The actuator as in claim 8, wherein outer pole disks of each magnet module are joined together into a one-piece compound pole disk.

10. The actuator as in claim 6, wherein an edge magnet is arranged on each end of the cylindrical magnet tube formed by outer pole disks of the magnet module, the strength of the edge magnets chosen so as to compensate for magnetic leakage flux occurring at the ends of the cylindrical magnet tube, and wherein each edge magnet is connected with the housing shell.

11. The actuator as in claim 1, wherein longitudinal grooves are disposed on the inside of the housing shell to allow passage of fluid displaced when the coil support moves axially within the housing shell.

12. An actuator for actuating a valve comprising a housing shell of a magnetically conductive material circumscribing a central axis, a coil support with an actuation projection and displaceable within the housing shell while forming a first air gap with respect thereto, with at least one current-carrying coil wound onto the circumference of the coil support along an axial extent thereof, and a cylindrical magnet tube enclosed by the coil support and forming a second air gap with respect thereto, with a sequence of one or more permanent magnets and one or more pole disks made of a magnetically conductive material arranged axially in the tube'"'"'s interior, with each pole disk having an associated coil, wherein the axial extent of the coil is greater than the axial extension of a pole disk associated with the coil, and wherein on each end of the cylindrical magnet tube formed by an outer pole disk of a magnet module, with the magnet module comprising a permanent magnet centrally located between two outer pole disks, an edge magnet is arranged and conductively coupled directly with an associated pole disk, whose strength is adjusted to compensate for the magnetic leakage flux occurring at the ends of the cylindrical magnet tube, and is connected with the housing shell.

13. The actuator as in claim 12, wherein the housing shell has an end face with an opening and supports an interior edge magnet of the cylindrical magnet tube;

and a tappet, operatively connected to the coil support, extends through the end face opening.

14. The actuator as in claim 13, wherein the housing shell, at its open end face, has radially inwardly projecting claw poles made of a magnetically conductive material and extending axially between spokes of a support star of the coil support supporting the tappet, the claw poles being in magnetically adhering engagement with an associated edge magnet of the cylindrical magnet tube.

15. The actuator as in claim 14, wherein the housing shell is open on both ends and is configured with claw poles formed at both of its ends, and the coil support has a support star at each end face with a tappet protruding therefrom.

16. The actuator as in claim 15, wherein the claw poles are configured so as to correspond in their shape to the gaps between the spokes of the support star.

17. The actuator as in claim 16, wherein the claw poles provide anti-rotation protection for the support star.

18. The actuator as in claim 17, wherein at least one claw pole has a projection abutting an associated spoke of the support star.

19. The actuator as in claim 17, wherein at least one spoke of the support star has a projection abutting an associated claw pole.

20. The actuator as in claim 14, wherein the claw pole or the cylindrical magnet tube forms a mount for a sensor of a position measuring system.

21. The actuator as in claim 14, wherein a magnet module is formed by a pole disk centered inside the cylindrical magnet tube and by two permanent magnets arranged on opposite sides of the pole disk, wherein like poles of the permanent magnets are located axially opposite each other and a coil associated with the centered pole disk is wound onto the coil support.

22. The actuator as in claim 21, wherein a sequence of alternating pole disks and permanent magnets is arranged between two outer permanent magnets.

23. The actuator as in claim 15, wherein a preloaded spring is arranged between the support star of the coil support and an end face of the cylindrical magnet tube to apply pressure against the tappet in a coupling position with the valve.

24. The actuator as in claim 15, wherein the coil support has recesses to receive the windings of the coil.

25. The actuator as in claim 24, wherein a protective layer is applied over the windings of the coils, such that the coil support has a smooth circumferential surface.

26. The actuator as in claim in claim 12, wherein longitudinal grooves are disposed along the inside of the housing shell to allow passage of fluid displaced when the coil support moves axially within the housing shell.

29. The actuator as in claim 12, wherein the edge magnets are contiguous with the associated pole disk.

30. The actuator as in claim 12, wherein the housing shell has a closed end face of magnetically conductive material, and one of the edge magnets is conductively coupled to the end face.

31. The actuator as in claim 30, wherein a spacer of magnetically conductive material is disposed between the closed end face and the one edge magnet.

27. An actuator for actuating a valve in a fluid system, the actuator comprising a closed housing shell made of a magnetically conductive material, circumscribing a central axis and containing a non-magnetic fluid medium, an annular non-conductive coil support having an actuation projection at one end and being axially displaceable through a stroke amplitude within the fluid in the housing shell and forming a first annular gap with respect to the shell, with at least one current-carrying coil winding circumferentially supported by the coil support, and with an annular magnet tube enclosed by the coil support and forming a second gap with respect to the coil support along an axial extent thereof, with a sequence of a permanent magnet and a pole disk made of a magnetically conductive material arranged axially in the tube'"'"'s interior, wherein the axial extent of the coil is greater than the axial extension of the pole disk, and the dimensions of the permanent magnet and the pole disk correspond to one another such that i) the end face cross-sectional area of the permanent magnet corresponds to at least the circumferential surface of the pole disk;

and ii) the axial extent of the coil overlaps the axial extension of the pole disk by the stroke amplitude of the coil support, and wherein the width of the second gap between the coil support and the magnet tube is sufficient such that a laminar lubricating film is established in the second annular gap between the coil support and magnet tube.

28. An actuator for actuating a valve in a fluid system, the actuator comprising a closed housing shell made of a magnetically conductive material, circumscribing a central axis and containing a non-magnetic fluid medium, an annular non-conductive coil support having an actuation projection at one end and being axially displaceable through a stroke amplitude within the fluid in the housing shell and forming a first annular gap with respect to the shell, with at least one current-carrying coil winding circumferentially supported by the coil support along an axial extent thereof, and with a magnet module, including a sequence of at least one pole disk made of magnetically conductive material and a permanent magnet, enclosed by the coil support and forming a second gap with respect to the coil support, wherein the axial extent of the coil is greater than the axial extension of the pole disk, and the dimensions of the permanent magnet and the pole disk correspond to one another such that i) the end face cross-sectional area of the permanent magnet corresponds to at least the circumferential surface of the pole disk;

and ii) the axial extent of the coil is greater than the axial extension of the pole disk by no more than the stroke amplitude of the coil support, and wherein the width of the second gap between the coil support and the magnet module is sufficient such that a laminar lubricating film is established in the second annular gap between the coil support and magnet module.

32. An actuator for actuating a valve comprising a housing shell of a magnetically conductive material circumscribing a central axis, a coil support with an actuation projection and displaceable within the housing shell while forming a first air gap with respect thereto, with at least one current-carrying coil wound onto the circumference of the coil support along an axial extent thereof, and a cylindrical magnet enclosed by the coil support and forming a second air gap with respect thereto, with a sequence of one or more permanent magnets and one or more pole disks made of a magnetically conductive material arranged axially in the tube'"'"'s interior, with each pole disk having an associated coil, wherein the axial extent of the coil is greater than the axial extension of a pole disk associated with the coil, and wherein on each end of the cylindrical magnet tube formed by an outer pole disk of a magnet module, with the magnet module comprising a permanent magnet centrally located between two outer pole disks, an edge magnet is arranged and is conductively coupled directly to the associated pole disk, whose strength is adjusted to compensate for magnetic leakage flux occurring at the ends of the cylindrical magnet tube, and is directly magnetically coupled with the housing shell.

33. The actuator as in claim 32, wherein the edge magnets are contiguous with the associated pole disk.

34. The actuator as in claim 32, wherein the housing shell has a closed end face of magnetically conductive material, and one of the edge magnets is conductively coupled to the end face.

35. The actuator as in claim 34, wherein a spacer of magnetically conductive material is disposed between the closed end face and the one edge magnet.