DIVERGENT FLUX PATH MAGNETIC ACTUATOR AND DEVICES INCORPORATING THE SAME

摘要

An energy efficient magnetic actuator includes an armature with attached shaft and a divergent flux path electromagnet with an outer magnetic enclosure containing a ring or toroid permanent magnet, two control coils one on either side of the permanent magnet, and a center pole piece through the permanent magnet and control coils having a bore to allow movement of the shaft. The majority of the magnetic flux in the center pole piece can be diverted in a single direction by a pair of control coils for the purpose of moving and magnetically latching the armature to the electromagnet or de-latching the armature from the electromagnet with aid of external forces to the shaft to overcome the small residual magnetic latching force resulting from leakage flux. The control coils may be energized in a variety of ways to achieved desirable linear or bi-linear motion of the armature.