Shock and vibration resistant magnetically operated actuator

A shock and vibration resistant magnetically operated actuator comprising:

• a plurality of nonmagnetized magnetically responsive elements in a first fixed spaced relation;
• means for securing said elements for rotation about an axis passing through their combined mass center of gravity;
• first, second, and third magnetic field producing means secured in a second fixed spaced relation, each field producing means being responsive to an applied electric current for creating a magnetic field, each element secured adjacent to and corresponding to a given field producing means and coupled to the magnetic field of that means, when energized, at least one element corresponding to one of said field producing means and being magnetically aligned with the corresponding field producing means in one relative orientation therebetween, the remaining ones of said field producing means and corresponding elements being magnetically misaligned in that orientation, said remaining ones of said field producing means and corresponding elements being magnetically aligned during the magnetic misalignment of said at least one element and the corresponding field producing means in a second orientation therebetween, a magnetic field of a given field producing means tending to rotate its coupled misaligned element into alignment therewith;
• and
• means for receiving magnetic field inducing current and for selectively applying the received current to said field producing means.

In a magnetically operated shock and vibration resistant switch system including a shock and vibration resistant electrical switch having first and second contacts secured for rotation about their respective mass centers of gravity, said contacts having closed and open stable switch states for passing a load current in one of said states, said system including a magnetically operated actuator for selectively placing said switch in said states, said actuator comprising:

• a set of radially outwardly extending angularly spaced nonmagnetized elements responsive to a magnetic field coupled thereto secured for rotation about an axis, said axis passing through the mass center of gravity of said elements;
• means for coupling said elements to said contacts for operating said contacts according to the angular position of said elements relative to said axis;
• a set of magnetic field creating coils secured in fixed spaced relation, each coil adjacent a given element such that its magnetic field, when present, is always coupled to that element, the field of a given coil tending to rotate and radially align the corresponding element thereto, the spacing of said coils being different than the spacing of the elements such that when at least one coil is radially aligned with its element and at least one other coil is radially misaligned with its element;
• and
• means for selectively energizing at least one of said misaligned coils to rotate all said elements and switch the state of said contacts.

In combination:

• a support;
• first and second switch contacts rotatably secured to the support for rotation about an axis, said axis passing through the mass center of gravity of the contacts;
• spring means for selectively placing the contacts in stable open and closed switch states;
• first, second, and third magnetically responsive nonmagnetized elements rotatably secured to said support for rotation about said axis, said axis passing through the mass center of gravity of said elements, said elements extending radially away from said axis;
• first, second, and third magnetic field inducing coils, each coil adjacent a different corresponding element, the spacing of the coils being such that a first of said coils is radially aligned with a corresponding element, the remaining coils being radially misaligned with their corresponding elements in one orientation, the first coil being radially misaligned and the remaining coils being radially aligned in a second orientation, said coils when energized, creating magnetic fields each coupled to its respective element in the one and second orientations, the magnetic fields tending to rotate the misaligned elements into alignment with the respective coils;
• means for coupling one of said remaining coils to said switch contacts;
• and
• means for coupling coil operating means to the other of said remaining coils and to the first coil for selectively energizing said remaining coil and first coil.

A shock and vibration resistant magnetically operated switch comprising:

• a shock and vibration resistant switch having open and closed switch states including means for manually placing the switch in at least the closed state;
• means for applying a force of a given value to the switch to hold the switch in said closed state;
• a nonmagnetized magnetically responsive element secured for rotation about an axis passing through its mass center of gravity, said element including means for coupling it to said switch such that the element has a first angular position when the switch is in the open state and a second angular position when the switch is in the closed state;
• and
• coil means fixed aligned in said first angular position about said axis, said coil means corresponding to and adjacent to said element, said coil means for creating a magnetic field adjacent thereto in response to an applied current, said coil means being spaced from said element so that it is always magnetically coupled to that element when energized, the angular spacing of the coil means to the element being such that the coil means and its element are magnetically aligned in said first position and are magnetically misaligned when the element is in said second angular position, the misalignment being such that when the misaligned coil means is energized with a current above a given threshold value, a force is created on the element greater than the given value, the element, in response to that coil mean's field generated force, tends to rotate into alignment with that coil means placing the switch means in the open state.