Electromagnetic energy converter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11114926-B2
Application number	US-201816337484-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2018
Priority date	Jun 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

An electromagnetic energy converter includes: a conducting coil; a main magnet in an inner space V formed by the conducting coil, retaining structure allowing the main magnet to rotate about an axis YY′ between two stable equilibrium positions; a first actuator magnet and a second actuator magnet disposed facing the first end and the second end respectively, the first and second actuator magnets being arranged to slide simultaneously in the same direction and parallel to the main axis XX′ once a force is exerted on either one of the first or second magnets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electromagnetic device comprising:
a conductive coil comprising first and second ends, and extending along a main axis XX′,
a main magnet held by holding means in an internal volume V formed by the conductive coil, the holding means allowing rotational movement of said main magnet about an axis YY′, perpendicular to the main axis XX′, between two positions of stable equilibrium called, respectively, a first position of equilibrium and a second position of equilibrium, and
first and second actuator magnets disposed, respectively, facing the first end and the second end, each having a magnetic polarity in a plane perpendicular to the axis YY′, the first and second actuator magnets being arranged to be driven in translation simultaneously in the same way and parallel to the main axis XX′ once a force is exerted on either of the first and second magnets, the sliding of the first and second magnets according to either of the ways defined by the direction of the main axis XX′ being adapted to force the main magnet to adopt, respectively, the first position of equilibrium or the second position of equilibrium.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the magnetic polarity of the first magnet forms with the main axis XX′ an angle alpha, and the magnetic polarity of the second magnet forms with the main axis XX′ either an angle −alpha, or 180°+alpha, or 180° −alpha.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a return means acting on one of the first and second magnets so that the main magnet is forced to adopt one of the two positions of stable equilibrium when no external force is exerted on the first and second magnets.

4. The device according to claim 3 wherein, the return means comprises a spring.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the sliding of either of the first and second magnets towards the main magnet is limited, respectively, by a first and a second stops, the first and second stops being arranged to prevent any contact between the main magnet and, respectively, the first and second magnets.

6. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first magnet, the second magnet, and the main magnet are aligned along the main axis XX′.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the main magnet has a symmetry of revolution about the axis YY′.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the device further comprises a first ferromagnetic yoke and a second ferromagnetic yoke disposed symmetrically to each other with respect to a plane comprising the axis YY′ and the main axis XX′.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second yokes comprise each two ends arranged to form a housing inside which the main magnet is held, the housing having a shape complementary to the main magnet.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the first and second magnets are disposed in a slide.

11. The device according to claim 8 , wherein a spacing is arranged between the first and the second yokes, said spacing being arranged to guide the first and the second magnets during their sliding.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device comprises two stabilizing magnets called, respectively, third magnet and fourth magnet, stationary and intended to stabilize, in one of the two main positions of equilibrium, the main magnet once the device is idle, the stabilizing magnets being arranged in such a manner that the poles of the stabilizing magnet stabilizing the main magnet according to the any of the two positions of stable equilibrium are aligned with those of the main magnet.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are disposed facing, respectively, the first and the second ends, and each stabilizing magnet is offset, in a different direction, from the main axis XX′, the main magnet is further mounted on a carrier comprising a slide, the slide is arranged so that the rotational movement of the main magnet about the axis YY′ between the two positions of equilibrium is accompanied by a translational movement, allowing alignment of the poles of the main magnet with the third magnet and the fourth magnet when said main magnet is respectively in the first position of equilibrium or in the second position of equilibrium.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the magnetic polarities of each of the third magnet and fourth magnet are parallel to the main axis XX′ and are opposing each other.

15. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the third magnet and the fourth magnet are opposite, respectively, the second magnet, and the first magnet.

16. The device according to claim 12 , wherein the main magnet further comprises a wedge disposed on one of its poles, and configured to be interposed between the main magnet and the third magnet or the fourth magnet when the main magnet is, respectively, in the first position of equilibrium or in the second position of equilibrium.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the device further comprises a ferromagnetic yoke which comprises two yoke ends, forming an air-gap, and interposed between the wedge of the main magnet and the third magnet or the fourth magnet when the main magnet is, respectively, in the first position of equilibrium or in the second position of equilibrium.

18. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the device is either an electromagnetic energy converter or an electromagnetic micro-generator.

19. A switch comprising the device according to claim 1 .

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Delette Gerard
• Tosoni Olivier

Classifications

• H02K35/02 Primary

  with moving magnets and stationary coil systems · CPC title

• H02K21/14 Primary

  with magnets rotating within the armatures · CPC title

• H01H50/18

  Movable parts of magnetic circuits, e.g. armature · CPC title

• H01H50/36

  Stationary parts of magnetic circuit, e.g. yoke · CPC title

• H01H50/44

  Magnetic coils or windings · CPC title