US 7,804,386 B2Granted

Electromagnetic control device operating by switching

AssigneePeugeot Citroen Automobiles SA

InventorsJean-Paul Yonnet, Christophe Baldi, Christophe Fageon

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Abstract

The invention relates to an electromagnetic control device for the opening and closing of a mechanical element, particularly a valve of an internal combustion engine. The positioning of the mechanical element in at least one position (open or closed) is achieved by the action of at least one solenoid (90) acting on a plate controlling the position of the mechanical element. The device has at least two gaps which are closed by the plate on the positioning of the mechanical element in at least one position, the plate being mounted to rotate such that the axis of rotation of the plate is between the two gaps. The device also has at least one permanent magnet (99b) to polarize the device such as to hold the plate in at least one position in the absence of current through the solenoid (90), said permanent magnet (99b) not being crossed by the principal magnetic flux (92) of the solenoid (90).

A motor vehicle engine valve assembly comprising a valve connected to an electromagnetic control device for the opening and closing of the valve, wherein the control device comprises:

an actuation plate containing a magnetic material and controlling the position of the valve between an open position of the valve and a closed position of the valve,
at least one coil actuating the plate, the positioning of the valve in at least one of the open and closed positions being obtained by the action of the at least one coil
a first and a second gap of variable thickness, wherein the thickness of each of said first and second gaps varies between a maximum thickness in a maximal opening position of said plate and a zero thickness in a closing position of said plate, and wherein said first and second gaps are closed by the plate upon the positioning of the valve in the closed position,
a third and a fourth gap of variable thickness, wherein the thickness of each of said third and fourth gaps varies between a maximum thickness in the closing position of said plate and a zero thickness in the maximal opening position of said plate, and wherein said third and fourth gaps are closed by the plate upon the positioning of the valve in the open position,
the plate being mounted to rotate such that the axis of rotation of the plate passes between the first, second, third and fourth gaps,
wherein a main magnetic flux generated by the coil passes through the plate by being channeled across at least one of the first and second gaps of variable thickness during the whole rotation travel of the plate from the maximal opening position of the plate to the closing position of the plate, and
a single permanent magnet which polarises the device so as to hold the plate in each of the maximal opening position of said plate and the closing position of said plate in the absence of current in the coil,
wherein a magnetic circuit of the magnetic flux generated by the coil does not contain the permanent magnet.

5 more elements

Facts

Application

11/632,540Filed 4 Jul 2005

Priority

FR 04 5156116 Jul 2004

Published

US 2007/0247264 A125 Oct 2007

Granted

28 Sep 2010

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H01F 7/145
Pivoting armatures: rotary electromagnets with variable gap
F01L 9/20
Valve-gear or valve arrangements actuated non-mechanically: by electric means
H01F 7/134
With armatures: actuators with two coils
H01H 51/2263
Polarised relays: comprising rotatable armature, rotating around central axis perpendicular to the main plane of the armature

Abstract

Claims20