Electromagnetic actuator and valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10190699-B2
Application number	US-201715446249-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2017
Priority date	Mar 4, 2016
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to an electromagnetic actuator and a valve having such an actuator. The actuator has a first magnetic coil and a second magnetic coil, as well as at least one permanent magnet and an anchor that can be moved axially by the magnetic coils and the permanent magnet between a first and a second position, on which at least one spring device acts in the axial direction. The first and second magnetic coils as well as the first permanent magnet are disposed axially behind one another thereby, such that the first permanent magnet is disposed coaxially between the first and second magnetic coils.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic actuator comprising:
a first magnetic coil;
a first permanent magnet,
an anchor configured to be moved axially by the first magnetic coil and the first permanent magnet between a first position and a second position, wherein a spring device is connected to the anchor and acts in the axial direction on the anchor, wherein the spring device is configured to exert a return force on the anchor as soon as the anchor is moved from a middle position toward the first position or the second position, wherein the first position is a closed position and the second position is an open position, and
a second magnetic coil,
wherein the first and second magnetic coils as well as the first permanent magnet are disposed axially, such that the first permanent magnet is disposed axially between the first and second magnetic coils.

2. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 , further comprising a second permanent magnet, wherein the second permanent magnet is disposed axially with the first magnetic coil, the second magnetic coil, and the first permanent magnet in a sequence:
first magnetic coil,
first permanent magnet,
second magnetic coil,
second permanent magnet.

3. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2 , wherein the first permanent magnet has a greater magnetic field strength than the second permanent magnet.

4. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2 , wherein the first magnetic coil has a greater magnetic field strength than the second magnetic coil when the same electrical current is supplied.

5. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second permanent magnets are annular magnets, and are magnetized radially such that the magnetic north and south poles are oriented radially in relation to one another.

6. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor has an anchor plate on at least one end surface.

7. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2 , wherein the first and second magnetic coils and the first and second permanent magnets are disposed coaxially on a magnet yoke having at least two end surfaces, wherein the spring device has at least one spring on one or both end surfaces of the magnet yoke.

8. A valve comprising:
a closing element configured to block a discharge opening of the valve, and
an electromagnetic actuator configured to move the closing element into an open position in which the discharge opening is open, and configured to move the closing element into a closed position in which the discharge opening is closed, wherein the electromagnetic actuator is the electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 .

9. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the anchor has anchor plates on at least two end surfaces.

10. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein a magnetic field generated by the first magnetic coil has a polarity directed in the same direction as a magnetic field generated by the second magnetic coil.

11. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein a spring force of the spring device is weaker than a magnetic force of the first permanent magnet.

12. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 2 , wherein a magnetic field generated by the second magnetic coil is oriented in a direction substantially opposite as a magnetic field generated by the first and second permanent magnets.

13. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 7 , wherein an air gap between the anchor and the magnet yoke substantially determines the magnetic force acting on the anchor.

14. The electromagnetic actuator according to claim 1 , wherein the spring device comprises a first spring and a second spring, wherein the first spring acts on the anchor counter to the second spring in an axial direction.

15. A method of open a valve, wherein the valve has a closing element blocking a discharge opening of the valve and the closing element is configured to be moved by an electromagnetic actuator comprising a first magnetic coil, a second magnetic coil, a first permanent magnet disposed between the first and second magnetic coils, a second permanent magnet disposed axially adjacent to the second magnetic coil, an anchor with an upper anchor plate and a lower anchor plate coupled to the closing element, a magnet yoke releasable coupled to the upper anchor plate, and a spring device connected to the anchor that acts in the axial direction on the anchor, wherein the spring device is configured to exert a return force on the anchor as soon as the anchor is moved, the method comprising:
supplying electrical current to the first and second magnetic coils in order to generate magnetic fields in the coils that are oriented in the same direction, wherein the magnetic field generated by the second magnetic coil is oriented in an opposite direction of a magnetic field generated by the second permanent magnet in a region near the upper anchor plate,
weakening the magnetic field strength of the second permanent magnet in the region near the upper anchor plate,
releasing the upper anchor plate from the magnet yoke,
moving the lower anchor plate toward the magnet yoke,
moving the closing element off the discharge opening.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the first permanent magnet has a greater magnetic field strength than the second permanent magnet.

Assignees

• Zahnradfabrik Friedrichshafen

Inventors

• Ulbricht Markus
• Pantke Michael
• Baumann Raphael

Classifications

• F16K31/0679 Primary

  with more than one energising coil · CPC title

• F16K31/0624

  Lift valves · CPC title

• F16K31/0655

  Lift valves · CPC title

• F16K31/082

  using a electromagnet and a permanent magnet · CPC title

• H01F2007/1669

  Armatures actuated by current pulse, e.g. bistable actuators · CPC title