Eddy current inductive drive electromechanical linear actuator and switching arrangement
AssigneePowerPath Technologies LLC
InventorElliot Brooks
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention is directed to an inductively driven electromagnetic linear actuator arrangement employing eddy currents induced by a fixed drive coil to drive its armature. Eddy current focusing fields are employed to direct the eddy currents using Lorentz forces to maximize armature speed. The armature includes a shorted driven coil in a DC magnetic field. This can be supplied by a permanent magnet. When current is applied, a force is felt by the coil in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. Such an actuator is well suited for electrical switching applications including transfer switching applications, circuit breaker applications, and ground fault interrupter applications.
Claims28
A linear actuator comprising an electromagnetic drive electromagnetically coupled to an armature that includes (a) a driven element comprised of one of a non-magnetic electrically conductive material, a paramagnetic electrically conductive material, and a diamagnetic electrically conductive material, and (b) at least one switch contact, wherein the armature being linearly movable relative to the electromagnetic drive when electric current is applied thereto.
A linear actuator comprising:
- (a) an electromagnetic drive that includes a permanent magnet and an electromagnetic drive coil that produces a magnetic field when electrical current is applied thereto with the electromagnetic drive including a driven element guide;
- (b) an armature that includes a driven element movably received in the guide, the driven element is electrically conductive and comprised of one of a non-magnetic material, a paramagnetic material, and a diamagnetic material that is of one piece, unitary and homogenous construction;
- and
- wherein electric current applied to the electromagnetic drive coil causes relative movement between the armature and electromagnetic drive.
A linear actuator comprising:
- (a) an electromagnetic drive that includes a plurality of permanent magnets arranged with opposite poles spaced apart defining a gap therebetween and opposing one another and an electromagnetic drive coil that produces a magnetic field when electrical current is applied thereto with the electromagnetic drive including a driven element guide;
- (b) an armature that includes a driven element movably received in the guide and disposed in the gap between the permanent magnets, the driven element is electrically conductive and comprised of one of a non-magnetic material, a paramagnetic material, and a diamagnetic material;
- and
- (c) a power supply that supplies electrical current to the electromagnetic drive coil generating a drive coil magnetic field, inducing eddy currents in the driven element directed by magnetic fields of the permanent magnets in a direction generally parallel to a lengthwise direction of the armature, generating a driven element magnetic field with the driven element magnetic field interacting with the drive coil magnetic field and displacing the armature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.