Plunger for magnetic latching solenoid actuator
AssigneeJohnson Electric S.A.
InventorRichard Anthony CONNELL
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plunger includes an elongate plunger body which is at least in part cylindrical and a plunger head at one end of the plunger body. The plunger body has a magnet-interface body portion which has a non-cylindrical cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the plunger body. A magnetic latching solenoid actuator using such a plunger is also provided, as is a method of improving the performance of a magnetic latching solenoid actuator.
Claims20
A plunger for a magnetic latching solenoid actuator, the plunger comprising:
- an elongate plunger body;
- and
- a plunger head at one end of the plunger body;
- the plunger body having a magnet-interface body portion which defines first and second planar surfaces on opposite lateral sides of the plunger body.
A magnetic latching solenoid actuator comprising:
- a solenoid coil;
- a magnetisable solenoid core mounted within the solenoid coil;
- a magnet element mounted at or adjacent to an end of the solenoid coil;
- and
- a plunger having a magnet-interface body portion magnetically engagable with the magnet element, the plunger being receivable by the solenoid coil such that at least part of the magnet-interface body portion is adjacent to the magnet element, the magnet-interface body portion being complementarily-shaped to the magnet element to increase or optimise a magnetic engagement therebetween.
A method of improving the performance of a magnetic latching solenoid actuator, the method comprising the step of improving a magnetic interaction between a plunger and a magnet element of the magnetic latching solenoid actuator by modifying a cross-section of the plunger at or adjacent to the magnet element so as to be more square or rectangular so as to better match a shape of the magnet element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.