Magnetically latching two position actuator and a clutched device having a magnetically latching two position actuator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9478339-B2
Application number	US-201514606096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2015
Priority date	Jan 27, 2015
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

An actuator can include a housing, plunger, core assembly, biasing member, and first and second electromagnets. The housing can have two end poles, and a central pole therebetween. The plunger can be configured for axial translation relative to the housing. The core assembly can move between first and second positions and can be coupled to the plunger. The core assembly can include first and second cores spaced apart by a permanent magnet. The first and second electromagnets can be spaced apart by the central pole and can have opposite polarities. The biasing member can bias the plunger toward a first plunger position when the core assembly is in the first position, and can bias the plunger toward a second plunger position when the core assembly is in the second position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An actuator comprising:
a housing having a first pole piece, a second pole piece, and a central pole piece disposed between the first and second pole pieces;
a core assembly received in the housing and being movable along a first axis between a first core position and a second core position, the core assembly including a permanent magnet, and first and second cores coupled for common axial movement with the permanent magnet and spaced axially apart by the permanent magnet; and
a first and second electromagnet, spaced axially apart by the central pole piece and having opposite polarities;
a plunger axially movable relative to the core assembly between a first plunger position and a second plunger position; and
a spring configured to bias the plunger toward the first plunger position when the core assembly is in the first core position, and to bias the plunger toward the second plunger position when the core assembly is in the second core position.

2. The actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a rod member and a tube, the rod member being disposed about the first axis and slidably received through a central aperture of the core assembly, the tube being fixedly coupled to the plunger for common translation with the plunger and surrounding the spring and a portion of the rod member.

3. The actuator of claim 1 , further comprising a first element, a second element, a first sensor, a first target, a second sensor, and a second target, wherein the first element and second elements are axially fixed relative to the housing, wherein one of the first sensor and first target is coupled to the plunger for common axial translation with the plunger, and the other of the first sensor and first target is coupled to the first element, wherein one of the second sensor and second target is coupled to the core assembly for common axial translation with the core assembly, and the other of the second sensor and second target is coupled to the second element.

4. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a case radially outward of the first and second electromagnets, and wherein the first and second cores, the first and second pole pieces, the central pole piece, and the case are formed of ferromagnetic materials.

5. The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the central pole piece has a central body and a bridge, the central body being axially between the first and second electromagnets, the bridge having a first base, a second base, and a span that extends between the first and second bases, the first base being radially inward of the first electromagnet and axially overlapping with a portion of the first electromagnet, the second base being radially inward of the second electromagnet and axially overlapping with a portion of the second electromagnet.

6. The actuator of claim 5 , wherein the bridge is slidable relative to the central body between a first bridge position and a second bridge position.

7. The actuator of claim 6 , wherein when the bridge is in the first bridge position, the first base is a first distance from the first pole piece and when the bridge is in the second bridge position, the first base is a second distance from the first pole piece, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

8. An actuator comprising:
a housing having a first pole piece, a second pole piece, and a central pole piece disposed between the first and second pole pieces;
a plunger configured for axial translation along a first axis between a first plunger position and a second plunger position;
a core assembly coupled to the plunger and received in the housing, the core assembly being movable along the first axis relative to the plunger between a first core position and a second core position, the core assembly including a permanent magnet, a first core, and a second core, the first and second cores being coupled to the permanent magnet for common axial movement;
a spring configured to bias the plunger toward the first plunger position when the core assembly is in the first core position, and configured to bias the plunger toward the second plunger position when the core assembly is in the second core position; and
a first and a second electromagnet spaced apart by the central pole piece, the first and second electromagnets being configured to polarize the first and second pole pieces with a first polarity and the central pole piece with a second polarity when the first and second electromagnets are in a first energized state, and configured to polarize the first and second pole pieces with the second polarity and the central pole piece with the first polarity when the first and second electromagnets are in a second energized state.

9. The actuator of claim 8 , further comprising a rod member and a tube, the rod member being disposed about the first axis and slidably received through a central aperture of the core assembly, the tube being fixedly coupled to the plunger for common translation with the plunger and surrounding the spring and a portion of the rod member.

10. The actuator of claim 8 , further comprising a first element, a second element, a first sensor, a first target, a second sensor, and a second target, wherein the first element and second elements are axially fixed relative to the housing, wherein one of the first sensor and first target is coupled to the plunger for common axial translation with the plunger, and the other of the first sensor and first target is coupled to the first element, wherein one of the second sensor and second target is coupled to the core assembly for common axial translation with the core assembly, and the other of the second sensor and second target is coupled to the second element.

11. The actuator of claim 8 , wherein the central pole piece has a central body and a bridge, the central body being axially between the first and second coils, the bridge having a first base, a second base, and a span that extends between the first and second bases, the first base being radially inward of the first coils and axially overlapping with a portion of the first coils, the second base being radially inward of the second coils and axially overlapping with a portion of the second coils.

12. The actuator of claim 11 , wherein the bridge is slidable relative to the central body between a first bridge position and a second bridge position, and wherein the first base is a first distance from the first pole piece when the bridge is in the first bridge position, and wherein the first base is a second distance from the first pole piece when the bridge is in the second bridge position, the second distance being greater than the first distance.

Assignees

• American Axle & Mfg Inc

Inventors

• Gilmore Curt D

Classifications

• F16H37/0806 Primary

  with a plurality of driving or driven shafts · CPC title

• H01F2007/1669

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

• H01F2007/1692

  Electromagnets or actuators with two coils · CPC title

• F16H48/34

  using electromagnetic or electric actuators · CPC title

• H01F7/1615 Primary

  Armatures or stationary parts of magnetic circuit having permanent magnet · CPC title