Magnetic actuators for haptic response

• US 10,236,760 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Moussette, Camille, Morrell, John B., Kessler, Patrick, Weiss, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Swarthout, Brent
• Application Number:
  US15/025,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20160211736A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,996 Days
• Field of Search: 3404071, 3404072
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/01 Input arrangements or combined input and output arrangements for interaction between user and computer G06F3/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/016 Input arrangements with force or tactile feedback as computer generated output to the user
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 1/34 Reciprocating, oscillating or vibrating parts of the magnetic circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 33/16 with polarised armatures moving in alternate directions by reversal or energisation of a single coil system
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/08 Structural association with bearings
• CPC Class Codes: H02K 7/108 with friction clutches

Abstract

In an embodiment, an actuator or circuit includes elements moveably coupled via bearings positioned between curved grooves. The bearings and the curves may exert a restorative force to return the elements to an original position after movement and may be spherical, cubic, cylindrical, and/or include gears that interact with groove gears. In some embodiments, an electrical coil may be coplanar with a surface of an element and a hard magnet may be positioned in the center and be polarized to stabilize or destabilize the element with respect to another element. In various embodiments, a magnetic circuit includes an element with an electrical coil wrapped in multiple directions around the element. In some embodiments, an actuator includes attraction elements and exertion of force causes an element to approach, contact, and/or magnetically attach to one of the attraction elements.

Claims

1. An actuator, comprising:

a fixed body element, including at least one first groove and at least one electrical coil;

a moveable body element, including at least one second groove and a first and second hard magnet; and

at least one bearing positioned between the at least one first groove and the at least one second groove that separates the fixed body element from the moveable body element;

wherein the moveable body element is magnetically attracted toward the fixed body element, the first hard magnet has an opposite polarity facing a surface of the moveable body element than the second hard magnet, and at least one of the at least one first groove or the at least one second groove is curved such that applying a lateral force to the moveable body element causes the at least one bearing to force the moveable body element vertically away from the fixed body element.

2. The actuator of claim 1, wherein ceasing to apply the lateral force causes the at least one bearing to allow the moveable body element to move closer to the fixed body element.

3. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing is cylindrical.

4. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the moveable body element further includes at least one soft magnet positioned such that the first and second hard magnets are positioned between the at least one soft magnet and the fixed body element.

5. The actuator of claim 1, wherein the at least one bearing comprises a plurality of bearings, the at least one first groove comprises a plurality of first grooves, the at least one second groove comprises a plurality of second grooves, and each of the plurality of bearings is positioned between one of the plurality of first grooves and one of the plurality of second grooves.

6. An actuator, comprising:

a first body element comprising a first hard magnet and a second hard magnet; and

a second body element that is moveably coupled to the first body element and comprises at least one electrical coil and at least one center hard magnet positioned in a center of the at least one electrical coil;

wherein the center hard magnet is polarized to either;

oppose a direction of a magnetic flux;

or correspond with the direction of the magnetic flux.

7. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the center hard magnet is polarized to correspond with the direction of the magnetic flux and exerts a restorative force to return the second body element to an original position with respect to the first body element after lateral movement.

8. The actuator of claim 7, wherein the center hard magnet is polarized to oppose the direction of the magnetic flux and resists return of the second body element to the original position.

9. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the center hard magnet is polarized to oppose the direction of the magnetic flux and destabilizes centering of the second body element with respect to the first body element.

10. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the first body element further comprises at least a first soft magnet element, and wherein at least one of the first hard magnet or the second hard magnet is positioned between the first soft magnet element and the second body element.

11. The actuator of claim 6, wherein the second body element further comprises at least a second soft magnet element, and wherein at least one of the at least one electrical coil or the at least one center hard magnet is positioned between the second soft magnet element and the first body element.

12. A magnetic circuit, comprising:

a moveable bar element that includes at least a first hard magnet and a second hard magnet; and

a fixed bar element that includes an electrical coil structure wound around the fixed bar element, wherein a first section of the electrical coil structure is wound in a first direction around a first area of the fixed bar element, and a second section of the electrical coil structure is wound in a second direction around a second area of the fixed bar element;

wherein the moveable bar element is moveably coupled to the fixed bar element.

13. The magnetic circuit of claim 12, wherein the first direction and the second direction are opposing directions.

14. The magnetic circuit of claim 12, wherein the electrical coil structure includes a middle section where the direction of winding is changed between the first direction and the second direction.

15. The magnetic circuit of claim 14, wherein the middle section is attached to the fixed bar element.

16. The magnetic circuit of claim 12, wherein the moveable bar element further comprises at least one soft magnet wherein at least one of the first hard magnet or the second hard magnet is positioned between the at least one soft magnet and the fixed bar element.

17. The magnetic circuit of claim 12, wherein the moveable bar element is moveably coupled to the fixed bar element by at least one bearing that is positioned between at least one first groove and at least one second groove.

18. The magnetic circuit of claim 12, further comprising an additional moveable bar element separated from the moveable bar element by the fixed bar element wherein the additional moveable bar element is moveably coupled to the fixed bar element and includes at least a third hard magnet and a fourth hard magnet.

19. An actuator, comprising:

a fixed body element, including at least one first groove and at least one electrical coil;

a moveable body element, including at least one second groove and a first and second hard magnet; and

at least one cube bearing positioned between the at least one first groove and the at least one second groove that separates the moveable body element from the fixed body element;

wherein the moveable body element is magnetically attracted toward the fixed body element and at least one of the at least one first groove or the at least one second groove is curved such that applying a lateral force to the moveable body element causes the at least one cube bearing to move the moveable body element laterally with respect to the fixed body element.

20. The actuator of claim 19, wherein ceasing to apply the lateral force causes the at least one cube bearing to move the moveable body element laterally with the fixed body element to return to an original position.