Proportional permanent magnet force actuator

An actuator comprising:

• stator means including first and second electromagnetic means, each of said electromagnetic means having main pole means in axial alignment in a first direction with the main pole means of the other and each having common pole means intermediate said main pole means and orthogonal to the direction of said main pole means;
• armature means including permanent magnet means with first and second armature pole means having surfaces thereof disposed in spaced relation to both said stator main pole means and said common pole means;
• means for activating said electromagnet means for simultaneously providing a first attractive force between a first armature pole means and said common pole means, a first repulsive force between the first armature pole means and a first main pole means, a second attractive force between the second armature pole means and the second main pole means, and a second repulsive force between the second armature pole means and said common pole means;
• and
• output means for enabling transfer of the relative displacement between said stator means and said armature means to a driven mechanism;
• said first and second electromagnet means including first and second generally cup-shaped ferromagnetic assemblies each having a centerline, and said main pole means including a main pole member on said centerline,
• said common pole means having an outside dimension not less than the inside dimension of said cup-shaped ferromagnetic assemblies, and said common pole means including an inner opening, said common pole means being formed of at least partially ferromagnetic material,
• said cup-shaped members being positioned in open end facing relation with said common pole means interposed therebetween,
• said cup-shaped assemblies being generally cylindrical, said permanent magnet means including a permanent magnet, and said armature pole means including ferromagnetic members having an outer dimension greater than the dimension of the permanent magnet and sufficient to at least partially overlap the common pole means in the radial direction.

An actuator comprising:

• stator means including first and second electromagnetic means, each of said electromagnetic means having main pole means in axial alignment in a first direction with the main pole means of the other and each having common pole means intermediate said main pole means and orthogonal to the direction of said main pole means;
• armature means including permanent magnet means with first and second armature pole means having surfaces thereof disposed in spaced relation to both said stator main pole means and said common pole means;
• means for activating said electromagnet means for simultaneously providing a first attractive force between a first armature pole means and said common pole means, a first repulsive force between the first armature pole means and a first main pole means, a second attractive force between the second armature pole means and the second main pole means, and a second repulsive force between the second armature pole means and said common pole means;
• and
• output means for enabling transfer of the relative displacement between said stator means and said armature means to a driven mechanism;
• said first and second electromagnet means including first and second generally cup-shaped ferromagnetic assemblies each having a centerline, and said main pole means including a main pole member on said centerline,
• said common pole means having an outside dimension not less than the inside dimension of said cup-shaped ferromagnetic assemblies, and said common pole means including an inner opening, said common pole means being formed of at least partially ferromagnetic material.
• said common pole means including first and second washer-shaped ferromagnetic members in proximate spaced relation, with the space therebetween occupied by a media having a magnetic permeability different from that of said first and second washer-shaped members.

An actuator comprising:

• stator means including first and second electromagnetic means, each of said electromagnetic means having main pole means in axial alignment in a first direction with the main pole means of the other and each having common pole means intermediate said main pole means and orthogonal to the direction of said main pole means;
• armature means including permanent magnet means with first and second armature pole means having surfaces thereof disposed in spaced relation to both said stator main pole means and said common pole means;
• means for activating said electromagnet means for simultaneously providing a first attractive force between a first armature pole means and said common pole means, a first repulsive force between the first armature pole means and a first main pole means, a second attractive force between the second armature pole means and the second main pole means, and a second repulsive force between the second armature pole means and said common pole means;
• and
• output means for enabling transfer of the relative displacement between said stator means and said armature means to a driven mechanism;
• said first and second electromagnet means including first and second generally cup-shaped ferromagnetic assemblies each having a centerline, and said main pole means including a main pole member on said centerline,
• said common pole means having an outside dimension not less than the inside dimension of said cup-shaped ferromagnetic assemblies, and said common pole means including an inner opening, said common pole means being formed of at least partially ferromagnetic material,
• the common pole means having a non-rectangular shaped configuration at said inner opening and said armature pole means having non-rectangular shaped end surfaces mating with and spaced from said non-rectangular portion of said common pole means.

An actuator comprising:

• stator means including:
• (a) first and second generally similar cup-shaped stator core means with a main pole member on the axial centerline thereof;
• (b) first and second stator coils received within the cups of said stator core means, said stator core means being positioned with the open ends of the cups facing one another;
• (c) common pole means having a central opening and being formed, at least partially, of ferromagnetic material, said common pole means being positioned intermediate the open ends of the cups with said central opening on said centerline for providing a common pole path for both, electromagnets, the main surface of said common pole means being generally perpendicular to the main poles of the stator members;
• armature means including:
• (a) permanent magnet means configured for being received within said central opening;
• (b) first and second ferromagnetic armature pole members coupled to opposing surfaces of said permanent magnet means, said permanent magnet means being sandwiched in intimate magnetic relation therewith, each of said armature pole members having an outer dimension sufficient to at least partially extend beyond said central opening in a direction transverse to said centerline, said armature means being configured for providing air gaps between said armature poles and said common pole means;
• means for biasing said armature means to a neutral axial position;
• said coils being adapted to receive an energizing current and to simultaneously provide a first attractive force between a first armature pole member and said common pole means, a repulsive force between the first armature pole member and one main pole member, a second attractive force between the second armature pole member and the other main pole member, and a second repulsive force between the second armature pole member and said common pole means;
• and
• output means for enabling transfer of the relative displacement between said stator means and said armature means to a driven mechanism.

A direct current actuator comprising:

• first and second generally identical cup-shaped ferromagnetic stator cores, each having a cylindrical sleeve portion and an axially extending annular main pole;
• first and second coils within the annular recesses of said stator cores, said stator cores being positioned in axially aligned relation with the open ends facing one another;
• a generally disc-shaped common pole means having a central opening and being formed, at least partially, of ferromagnetic material, positioned intermediate and in abutting relation with the open ends, the edge of said-opening terminating radially inwards of said sleeve portion and radially outside the diameter of said main poles;
• armature means including a permanent magnet member configured and dimensioned for being received within said opening;
• first and second ferromagnetic armature poles coupled to opposing surfaces of said magnet in intimate magnetic relation therewith, each of said armature poles being on an opposite side of said common pole means and having an outer dimension greater than the dimension of said central opening and sufficient to at least partially overlap said common pole means in the radial direction in spaced relation therewith;
• means for biasing said armature to a neutral position;
• said coils, when energized, causing both said main poles to have the same polarity and causing said common pole means to have an opposite polarity for effecting movement of said armature means in a first direction;
• and
• output means for enabling transfer of the relative displacement between said stator means and said armature means to a driven mechanism.

An actuator comprising:

• stator means including first and second stator pole means axially aligned with each other in a first direction, and third pole means intermediate said first and second pole means and aligned in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction;
• stator coil means adapted to be energized from a current source for causing said first and second pole means to have the same polarity and for simultaneously causing said third pole means to have an opposite polarity;
• armature means including permanent magnet means with first and second armature pole members, said armature means being dimensioned, configured and arranged for enabling electromagnetic attraction of said first and second pole members with selected ones of said first, second and third stator pole means upon energization of said coil means,
• said armature means being dimensioned, configured and arranged for simultaneously enabling electromagnetic repulsion of said first and second armature pole members with selected other ones of said first, second and third stator pole means upon energization of said coil means,
• said third pole means being in spaced proximate relation to said permanent magnet means,
• said armature means including permanent magnet means in intimate magnetic relation with said first and second armature pole members, said third pole means including a central opening with said permanent magnet means positioned therein, and said first and second armature pole members being positioned on opposite sides of said central opening.

An actuator comprising:

• stator means including first and second stator pole means axially aligned with each other in a first direction, and third pole means intermediate said first and second pole means, and aligned in a second direction orthogonal to said first direction;
• stator coil means adapted to be energized from a current source for causing said first and second pole means to have the same polarity and for simultaneously causing said third pole means to have an opposite polarity;
• armature means including permanent magnet means with first and second armature pole members, said armature means being dimensioned, configured and arranged for enabling electromagnetic attraction of said first and second pole members with selected ones of said first, second and third stator pole means upon energization of said coil means,
• said third pole means including first and second generally similarly configured ferromagnetic members with a space therebetween.

A permanent magnet actuator comprising:

• electromagnetic stator means adapted to be electronically activated and having first and second stator poles spaced from one another in a first direction,
• an intermediate magnetic member connected in magnetic circuit with said stator means and having a third stator pole displaced from both said first and second poles in at least said first direction,
• each of said first and second stator poles having a like polarity and said third stator pole having a polarity opposite the polarity of said first and second poles when said electromagnetic stator means is activated,
• an armature mounted for motion relative to the stator means in said first direction, said armature carrying permanent magnet means having a first armature pole of one polarity interposed between said first and third stator poles and having a second armature pole of polarity opposite said one polarity interposed between said second and third stator poles.

A permanent magnet actuator comprising:

• first and second electromagnets of a stator having mutually spaced stator poles,
• a variable single polarity ferromagnetic common pole member in magnetic circuit with and common to both said stator electromagnets, said common pole member cooperating with said stator electromagnets to define first and second stator interpole spaces,
• an armature mounted for motion relative to said stator, said armature having a permanent magnet and first and second mutually spaced single polarity ferromagnetic armature poles attached to said permanent magnet,
• said armature poles being positioned in said first and second stator interpole spaces respectively, and said variable single polarity ferromagnetic common pole member being positioned between said armature poles, whereby flux of said stator poles is conducted by said armature poles in said first and second interpole spaces, and said common pole member provides a low reluctance magnetic path between said armature poles.