Electromagnetic actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10217586-B2
Application number	US-201415035499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2014
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	Feb 26, 2019
Grant date	Feb 26, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for driving an electromagnetic actuator, which comprises a field winding for generating a magnetic field and a movable armature, wherein, in the method, in order to move the armature from a preset starting position into a preset end position, a magnetic flux is generated in the field winding and the magnetic flux through the field winding or a flux variable correlated with the magnetic flux through the field winding is measured so as to form an actual value. The invention provides that, in order to move the armature from the starting position into the end position, the magnetic flux through the field winding is regulated, namely in such a way that the characteristic of the actual value corresponds to a fixedly preset setpoint flux curve.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for driving an electromagnetic actuator including an exciter winding for generating a magnetic field and a movable armature, the method comprising:
generating a magnetic flux in the exciter winding in order to move the armature from a starting position into an end position;
and
measuring the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, or a flux variable which correlates with the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, by forming an actual value, wherein, to move the armature from the starting position into the end position, the magnetic flux is regulated by the exciter winding, and wherein a profile of the actual value corresponds to a setpoint flux curve, the setpoint flux curve including a rise ramp section in which the setpoint flux curve rises from zero to a ramp end value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the voltage at the exciter winding and the current through the exciter winding is regulated by the method such that the actual value corresponds to the setpoint flux curve.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes a holding section in which the setpoint flux curve has a constant holding value, and wherein the holding value is dimensioned such that the magnetic flux through the exciter winding is configured to hold the armature in the end position.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes the rise ramp section, the holding section and at least one intermediate section located between the rise ramp section and the holding section.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as the at least one intermediate section, an acceleration section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively greater than in the holding section.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as the at least one intermediate section, a braking section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively lower than in the holding section.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, or the flux variable which correlates with the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, is measured via a Hall sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, or the flux variable which correlates with the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, is measured by
measuring the voltage at the exciter winding or the voltage at an auxiliary coil penetrated by the flux, which also penetrates the exciter winding; or by a flux proportional thereto, by forming a coil voltage measured value, and
determining the actual value at least by integration of the coil voltage measured value.

9. An actuator comprising:
an exciter winding to generate a magnetic field;
a movable armature;
a sensor to measure magnetic flux through the exciter winding, or to measure a flux variable which correlates with the magnetic flux through the exciter winding, by forming an actual value; and
a control device to drive the exciter winding, the control device being configured to apply a current to the exciter winding, wherein a time profile of the actual value corresponds to a setpoint flux curve, the setpoint flux curve including a rise ramp section in which the setpoint flux curve rises from zero to a ramp end value.

10. An arrangement comprising:
the actuator of claim 9 ; and
an electrical switch, the actuator being configured to serve to move a movable contact of the electrical switch during at least one of switching on and off of the electrical switch.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes a holding section in which the setpoint flux curve has a constant holding value, and wherein the holding value is dimensioned such that the magnetic flux through the exciter winding is configured to hold the armature in the end position.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes the rise ramp section, the holding section and at least one intermediate section located between the rise ramp section and the holding section.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as the at least one intermediate section, an acceleration section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively greater than in the holding section.

14. The method of claim 5 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as another of the at least one intermediate section, a braking section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively lower than in the holding section.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as the at least one intermediate section, a braking section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively lower than in the holding section.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as another of the at least one intermediate section, a braking section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively lower than in the holding section.

17. The arrangement of claim 10 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes a holding section in which the setpoint flux curve has a constant holding value, and wherein the holding value is dimensioned such that the magnetic flux through the exciter winding is configured to hold the armature in the end position.

18. The actuator of claim 9 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes a holding section in which the setpoint flux curve has a constant holding value, and wherein the holding value is dimensioned such that the magnetic flux through the exciter winding is configured to hold the armature in the end position.

19. The actuator of claim 18 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes the rise ramp section, the holding section and at least one intermediate section located between the rise ramp section and the holding section.

20. The actuator of claim 19 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as the at least one intermediate section, an acceleration section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively greater than in the holding section.

21. The actuator of claim 19 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as the at least one intermediate section, a braking section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively lower than in the holding section.

22. The actuator of claim 20 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes, as another of the at least one intermediate section, a braking section in which the setpoint flux values are relatively lower than in the holding section.

23. The arrangement of claim 17 , wherein the setpoint flux curve includes the rise ramp section, the holding section and at least one intermediate section located between the rise ramp section and the holding section.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Hahn Andreas
• Kuehn Wolfgang

Classifications

• H01H47/325

  by switching regulator · CPC title

• H01F2007/1855

  using a stored table to deduce one variable from another · CPC title

• H01F7/1844 Primary

  Monitoring or fail-safe circuits (for relays H01H47/002) · CPC title

• G01R33/072

  Constructional adaptation of the sensor to specific applications · CPC title

• H01H47/22 Primary

  for supplying energising current for relay coil · CPC title