Electromagnetic actuator device

• US 9,607,746 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ETO Magnetic GmbH (Christa Und Hermann Laur-Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: ETO Magnetic GmbH (Christa Und Hermann Laur-Stiftung)
• Inventors: Fangauer, Philipp, Buerssner, Joerg
• Primary Examiner(s): Ismail, Shawki S
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOMZA, LISA NHUNG
• Application Number:
  US14/012,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20140062628A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,308 Days
• Field of Search: 335/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F01L 2820/031 Electromagnets
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/08 with armatures
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1615 Armatures or stationary parts of magnetic circuit having permanent magnet
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/1638 Armatures not entering the winding

Abstract

An electromagnetic actuator device has a coil unit (28, 58) enclosing a first yoke section (16, 56) of a stationary yoke unit (10, 54), an armature unit (14, 64) movably guided relative to the yoke unit (10, 54), by energization to interact with a positioning partner on the output side of the armature unit (14, 64) and permanent magnetic agents (22, 36, 68) coupled into a magnetic flux circuit of the yoke unit (10, 54) wherein de-energization of the coil unit (28, 58) a permanent magnetic flux circuit through the yoke unit (10, 54) and a section of the armature unit (14, 64) that is free of permanent magnetic flux and energization displaces the permanent magnetic flux, out of the section, wherein the armature unit (14), by spring force is pre-loaded in a direction opposed to permanent magnetic retaining force of the armature unit (14, 64) and the positioning partner is a combustion engine unit.

Claims

1. An electromagnetic actuator device, comprising:

a stationary yoke unit (10, 54) having a first yoke section (16, 56) and an armature unit (14, 64) which is moveable relative to the stationary yoke unit (10, 54);

a coil unit (28, 58) enclosing the first yoke section (16, 56), wherein the coil unit is operable in an energized or de-energized state;

permanent magnetic means (22, 36, 68) positioned on the yoke unit (10, 54) to generate a magnetic flux circuit which, when the coil unit (28, 58) is operated in the de-energized state, attracts the armature unit (14) toward the first yoke section (16, 56); and

a spring exerting a spring force on the armature unit opposed to force of the permanent magnetic means, wherein when the coil unit is operated in the de-energized state, the magnetic flux circuit holds the armature unit (14) in a first position against the spring force, and when the coil unit is operated in the energized state, the magnetic flux circuit is moved out of the first yoke section and the armature unit such that the spring force moves the armature unit away from the first yoke section, wherein the permanent magnetic means (22, 36, 68) are integrated on a cover side or front face of a housing which is at least partially of hollow cylindrical shape that implements the yoke unit (10, 54) and additional yoke sections (20), wherein the permanent magnetic means (22) is connected at one end to one of the additional yoke sections, and connected at an opposed end to another of the additional yoke sections, wherein the armature unit (14) is substantially parallel to the additional yoke sections (20), wherein a central axis of the housing runs axially with or parallel to a longitudinal axis of the armature unit (14, 64), or is integrated into the yoke unit, and wherein the force of the permanent magnetic means is greater than the spring force of the spring.

2. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first yoke section runs parallel to the longitudinal axis of the armature unit.

3. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the permanent magnetic means (22, 36, 68) are designed as cylindrical bodies or a cylindrical section of a permanent magnetic material, and are integrated into the cylindrical wall of the housing in a flux-conducting manner, or wherein the permanent magnetic means (22, 36, 68) are designed as a disk or a disk section of a permanent magnetic material, and are integrated into a front face of the housing in a flux-conducting manner, or both.

4. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the permanent magnetic means (22, 36, 68) are designed as a rod-shaped or a strip-shaped body of a permanent magnetic material, or both rod-shaped and strip-shaped bodies of a permanent magnetic material.

5. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the yoke unit comprises flux-conducting sections adjacent to the permanent magnetic means (22, 36, 68), said flux-conducting sections defining an air gap (12, 26, 52, 62, 66, 74, 76).

6. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first yoke section (16, 56) is aligned axially or orthogonally relative to the armature unit (14, 64), with the formation of an intermediate air gap (12, 26, 52, 62, 66, 74, 76) between them.

7. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coil unit (28, 58) has a first energisation polarity which displaces the magnetic flux circuit from the armature unit (14, 64) and has an opposing second energisation polarity which generates an electromagnetic flux in the same direction as the magnetic flux circuit.

8. The device in accordance with claim 7, wherein the coil unit is further operable in a reverse mode wherein energization of the coil is adjusted by reversing polarity.

9. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the coil unit (28, 58) comprises a multiplicity of individual coils provided on sections of the yoke unit (10, 54) and electrically connected together.

10. The device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the armature unit is elongated and in the form of a tappet for interacting with a positioning partner in the form of a combustion engine unit.

11. The device in accordance with claim 10, wherein the combustion engine unit is a camshaft adjustment unit.