Method of manufacturing the electromagnetic actuator

• US 7,197,815 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2005
• Issued: 04/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yasuda, Susumu, Hirose, Futoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, PAUL D
• Application Number:
  US11/149,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20050231310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 662 Days
• Field of Search: 295/921, 295/96, 296/021, 296/05, 296/06, 205/119, 205/122, 310/12, 310/14, 359/198, 359/199, 359/224, 359/225, 359/877
• US Class Current: 29/606
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/081 Magnetic constructions
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1607 Armatures entering the winding
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 26/00 Machines adapted to function as torque motors, i.e. to exert a torque when stalled
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/04 wherein the frequency of operation is determined by the frequency of uninterrupted AC energisation
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 41/035 DC motors; Unipolar motors
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 99/20 Motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49009 Dynamoelectric machine
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4902 Electromagnet, transformer or inductor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49071 by winding or coiling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49073 by assembling coil and core

Abstract

An electromagnetic actuator comprises a core with a coil wound around a stator magnetically coupled to each end of the cored a movable element that can be displaced relative to the stator, and a supporting means for supporting the movable element. The stator and the movable element each have a projection and a depression parallel to the displacement direction of the movable element and are placed in such a way that the projection and depression of the stator engage with the projection and depression of the movable element.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an electromagnetic actuator provided with a core with a coil wound around;

a stator magnetically coupled at both ends of said core;

a movable element that can be displaced relative to said stator; and

a supporting means for supporting said movable element,

said stator and said movable element each having a projection and a depression perpendicular to their respective displacement directions and being placed in such a way that the projection and depression of said stator engage with the projection and depression of said movable element,

wherein a process of manufacturing said stator, said movable element and said supporting means comprises;

a step of forming a sacrificial layer on a substrate;

a step of forming an electrode layer on said substrate and said sacrificial layer;

a step of forming an insulated female mold layer on said electrode layer, in which step openings are formed in a photoresist layer for making said core, said stator and said movable element;

a step of electroplating a magnetic layer in said openings of said insulated female mold layer on said electrode layer to make said core, said stator and said movable element of a same material; and

a step of removing said insulated female mold layer and said sacrificial layer.

2. The method of manufacturing the electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, wherein said insulated female mold layer is comprised of photoresist.

3. The method of manufacturing the electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means and said stator are fixed onto the substrate.

4. The method of manufacturing the electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means is a parallel hinge spring made up of a plurality of flat springs combined in parallel, and the projections and depressions of said stator and the projections and depressions of said movable element are formed like comb-teeth parallel to the direction of movement of said parallel hinge spring.

5. The method of manufacturing the electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1, wherein said material is permalloy.