Linear actuator and method of operation

Abstract

A linear actuator apparatus is provided. The apparatus has a housing defining a displacement path and a mass movably mounted within the housing. The housing has a force element position in which a plurality of force elements can be held. When the mass is displaced from the rest position, a restoring force is generated from a force response curve by interaction of the force element and the mass. Characteristics of the force response curve vary depending on a force element position where the force element is located. The force element is movable between different force element positions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present description relates to linear actuator devices. Background Art

[0002] A linear actuator typically involves some form of mass that can move back and forth in a linear path. A linear actuator also involves some form of drive element that can apply a drive force to the mass and cause changes in the speed and direction of motion. In the case of an electromagnetic actuator, the drive element can be a coil and the mass can have a permanent magnet construction associated with it to respond to changes in the magnetic field generated by the coil, for example. The changes in speed and direction of motion are associated with acceleration forces, and the back and forth motion produces vibrations. Such a linear actuator can have a reaction force path that causes a gradually changing force response as the mass moves through it and away from an equilibrium position or area where no force is applied. By analogy with plotting the amount of force applied by the reaction force path to the mass as a function of position, the reaction force path can be interpreted as having a force response curve.

[0003] In the case of a haptic actuator, the force response curve exhibits a restoring force as the mass moves away from the equilibrium position. Additionally, the force response curve may be characterized so that the reaction force gradually increases with distance away from the equilibrium position.

[0004] Although existing linear actuators are satisfactory to a certain extent, there is always room for improvement. Summary of the invention

[0005] Manufacturing a haptic actuator system can be a complex process, especially as system sizes become smaller, as modern applications (e.g., in mobile electronic devices, as shown in FIG. 2 ) require. Once manufactured, the haptic actuator system can have a set force response curve along the reaction force path. A haptic actuator manufacturer may specialize in manufacturing haptic actuators and may sell its haptic actuators to different electronic device manufacturers. Because different devices and / or device models may have different physical sizes and design constraints, it may not be possible to use the same haptic actuator system design and achieve the same desired force response characteristics in multiple different devices. This may lead to an inefficient manufacturing process because each haptic actuator system may require its own unique manufacturing process for different devices, which will increase production costs. A haptic actuator manufacturer may wish to have a haptic actuator model that can be industrially produced to reduce production costs and is easily adapted to different situations and devices. A haptic actuator system that can adjust the force response curve after manufacturing would be ideal.

[0006] Additionally, modern electronic devices may require multiple different tactile feedback response profiles when performing different tasks or using different applications on a mobile device. For example, the tactile feedback response required when receiving a key press on a touch screen keyboard of a mobile device may be different from the tactile feedback response required when playing a video game on the same mobile device. The need for multiple different tactile response profiles may require the use of multiple different tactile actuators within a device. It would be beneficial to be able to adjust the force response curve characteristics of a single tactile actuator system to meet the needs of different applications, rather than using multiple different tactile actuators.

[0007] According to a first aspect, an actuator device is provided, comprising: a housing defining a linear displacement path; a mass block movably mounted in the linear displacement path within the housing, the mass block having a magnetic segment; an electromagnet fixed relative to the housing and configured to selectively apply acceleration to the mass block along an orientation of the linear displacement path; a reaction force path generating a restoring force when the mass block is displaced from a stationary position, the restoring force being directed toward the stationary position along an orientation of the linear displacement path, the magnitude of the restoring force varying with a position of the mass block in the linear displacement path according to a force response curve defining a frequency response curve associated with a frequency of motion of the mass block in the linear displacement path; the housing having a plurality of force element positions for receiving a force element of the reaction force path, the peak response frequency of the frequency response curve varying from one of the plurality of force element positions to another, the force element being maintained at one of the plurality of force element positions.

[0008] According to another aspect, a method of operating an actuator device is provided, the actuator device having a mass block, the mass block being movably mounted in a linear displacement path defined relative to a housing, the actuator device also having a reaction force path, the reaction force path having a plurality of force elements, the plurality of force elements including at least one force element having a plurality of positions defined relative to the housing, the method comprising: applying a time-varying driving force to the mass block along an orientation of the linear displacement path at a first driving frequency, when the mass block is displaced along the linear displacement path away from a static position, the reaction force path applying a restoring force to the mass block, the restoring force being along an orientation of the linear displacement path and toward the static position The method comprises the steps of: applying a driving force that varies with time and applying a restoring force to cause the mass block to oscillate at a first oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path when the at least one force element is at a first position among the plurality of positions, applying a driving force that varies with time and applying a restoring force to cause the mass block to oscillate at a first oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path when the at least one force element is at a second position among the plurality of positions, and applying a driving force that varies with time and applying a restoring force to cause the mass block to oscillate at a second oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path when the at least one force element is at a second position among the plurality of positions.

[0009] According to another aspect, a method for assembling an actuator device is provided, wherein the actuator device has a mass block, which is movably mounted in a linear displacement path defined relative to a shell, and the actuator device also has a reaction force path, wherein the reaction force path has multiple force elements, and the multiple force elements include at least one force element having multiple positions defined relative to the shell, and the method includes: selecting a spacer corresponding to a corresponding position among the multiple positions from a plurality of spacers with different thicknesses, and the different thicknesses are associated with different positions among the multiple positions; and clamping the selected spacer between a corresponding one of the force elements and a stopper of the shell, and the selected spacer sets the position of the force element at one of the multiple positions.

[0010] Many further features and combinations thereof will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reading this disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the accompanying drawings,

[0012] Figure 1A is a schematic simplified view of an exemplary linear actuator, Figure 1B The force response curve is shown. Figure 1C Its frequency response curve is shown;

[0013] Figure 2Ais a block diagram of an exemplary apparatus incorporating a controller and a linear actuator;

[0014] Figure 2B is a block diagram of an exemplary computing device;

[0015] Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus having a first force element configuration contained within a housing;

[0016] Figure 3B It has a second force element structure Figure 3A A schematic diagram of an exemplary linear actuator device;

[0017] Figure 3C Shown Figure 3A and Figure 3B Frequency response curve of the device;

[0018] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus;

[0019] Figure 4B A position-adjustable element having a second configuration Figure 4A A schematic diagram of a linear actuator device;

[0020] Figure 5A is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus;

[0021] Figure 5B yes Figure 5A A perspective view of the interior of an exemplary linear actuator device;

[0022] Figure 5C is a force element having a first position Figure 5A A cross-sectional side view of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus;

[0023] Figure 5D is a force element having a second force element position Figure 5A A cross-sectional side view of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus;

[0024] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus including one or more spacer elements;

[0025] Figure 7 is a flow chart depicting an exemplary method of operating an actuator apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Figure 1AA relatively simplified example of a linear actuator 22 that can be used to provide tactile feedback is shown. Through this example, some language used to describe other linear actuators will be introduced. The linear actuator 22 can generally include a mass 12 that can be linearly moved back and forth along a linear path 24. The linear path 24 can be defined by a linear guide, such as a housing 26 that defines a linear path 24 that is longer than the mass 12 and in which the mass 12 can be slidably engaged.

[0027] The linear actuator 22 also includes some form of driving force generator (not shown) that is configured to selectively apply a driving force or not apply a driving force to the mass 12 to cause it to move along the linear path 24. In the case where the mass 12 has one or more magnetic segments, the driving force generator can be an electromagnet that is magnetically coupled to the permanent magnetic field of the mass 12, for example, but in other embodiments, other forms of driving force generators or ways of driving the mass to move may be preferred.

[0028] The linear actuator 22 also provides a reaction force path. Figures 1A to 1C In the example shown, the path is provided entirely by a compression spring 14, which is fixed at one end 28 between the mass 12 and the housing 26. In this embodiment, the compression spring 14 has a spring constant k that can remain constant along the entire displacement span of the linear path 24, and thus generates a linear force response curve 18 ( Figure 1B ). Here is Figure 1A The dashed box shows the force response curve 18 of the reaction force path 32. Figure 1B As shown in Figure 1B As shown to the left of the rest position 16 of FIG. 1 , the reaction force path 32 generates a gradually (linearly) increasing restoring force 30. The further the mass moves to the left from the rest position 16 along the linear path, the more the spring 14 stretches, which follows the typical mass / spring behavior, governed by the equation F=kx (where x is the displacement). Figure 1B As shown to the right of the rest position 16 of FIG. 1 , the reaction force path 32 provides a gradually increasing restoring force 30 as the mass moves to the right from the rest position 16 to compress the spring 14 .

[0029] In this case, the force response curve 18 is linear, i.e., it has a constant slope k, and the force response is proportional to the distance away from the rest position 16. Since the maximum range of the linear displacement path 34 and the magnitude of the maximum displacement 34 may vary from embodiment to embodiment, it will be practical to provide a relative unit value for the slope k. In practice, regardless of the embodiment, the linear displacement path 24 may have a static rest position 16, also referred to as an equilibrium position, from which the mass 12 can be moved by the driving force generator in both directions to the respective ends 28, 36 of the linear displacement path 24. The ends 28, 36 of the linear displacement path 24 may be defined by a reaction force path, for example even by a hard stop, or by properties such as the maximum force and frequency of the driving force generator and friction, which may be translated into a maximum displacement range at perfect resonance. Therefore, the maximum force 38 and the maximum displacement range 34 are properties of a given linear actuator and are independent of implementation details. In order to define normalized units, we define units where half of the full span of the linear displacement path 24 is equal to the maximum restoring force 38. For example, 1 / 2 of the maximum displacement 34 may have a value of 1 in units of the maximum displacement, and the maximum restoring force 38 applied by the reaction force path may have a value of 1 in units of the maximum restoring force. Thus, the slope may be expressed as units of force added per unit of displacement. In the case of a linear reaction force path, using the above definition, the slope remains constant over the entire range of displacements, equal to 1, on either side of the rest position 16. The slope is also 1 at the rest position 16, which unambiguously defines the static rest position 16. The force response curve 18 is also symmetrical, providing an equal restoring force 30 regardless of the direction of the position of the mass relative to the equilibrium position 16.

[0030] Therefore, the shape of the force response curve 18 is also a property of the linear actuator and will be defined by the force elements of the reaction force path. Figure 1A In the embodiments, there is a single force element, namely the compression spring 14, which completely defines the force response curve 18, but it will be understood that other embodiments (for example, embodiments in which the force element is one or more magnets, one or more springs and / or combinations thereof) may be used in alternative embodiments, some examples of which are shown below.

[0031] The shape of the force response curve 18 will induce dynamic effects that can be visualized during operation. For example, in this example, the force response curve 18 includes a first region 40 and a second region 42, wherein the first region 40 extends from the rest position 16 to the first end 28 of the linear displacement path 24, where the restoring force 30 gradually increases on the first side of the rest position 16, and the second region 42 extends from the equilibrium position 16 to the second end 36 of the linear displacement path 24, where the restoring force 30 gradually increases on the second side of the equilibrium position 16. The two regions 40, 42 of increased restoring force 30 define the entirety of the force response curve 18. The restoring force 30 always acts in the displacement direction, which may be due to the linear displacement path 24 limiting the movement in this direction, but always acts in the opposite direction according to the side relative to the rest position 16, and therefore is called a "restoring" force.

[0032] If the mass 12 is moved to one side to resist the restoring force of the spring 14 and is suddenly released from the external force, the spring 14 will pull the mass 12 back past the rest position 16, and the mass 12 will oscillate back and forth about the rest position 16 for a period of time until its energy is dissipated in friction and the mass 12 returns to the "static" rest position 16 (in a nonlinear system, the rest position 16 can be an area rather than a point, but in haptics a point is usually preferred). The frequency at which the mass 12 oscillates back and forth is the natural frequency of the linear actuator, which will be denoted as W0 herein. Figure 1B In the case of a force response curve having a constant slope as shown, W0 depends on the slope of the force response curve 18, which in one embodiment is directly related to the spring constant k. If the drive force generator is configured to repeatedly provide drive energy to the system 10 at a frequency close to the natural frequency W0, such as by operating a coil with an alternating current, the repeatedly added energy will accumulate as a "resonance", and the moving mass 12 will reach increasingly larger displacement and acceleration amplitudes until a dynamic equilibrium oscillation is reached, where the energy losses due to friction correspond to the amount of energy introduced into the system per cycle.

[0033] You can refer to Figure 1C To better understand the statement "repeatedly provide driving energy to the system at a frequency close to the natural frequency". Figure 1C shows a graph showing Figure 1A2 shows the force (acceleration) response spectrum 20 of the linear actuator 22 as a function of the drive frequency for a given drive energy amplitude. In practice, if the same amount of energy is provided to the mass 12 at a frequency different from W0, the mass 12 will still be driven, but part of the energy will not be effectively converted into motion because the motion of the spring 14 will not resonate with the drive, and therefore the acceleration and displacement amplitude of the mass 12 driven by the drive force will be smaller. In practice, the peak in the frequency response graph corresponds to the frequency W0. It can be seen that as the drive frequency moves further and further away from the natural frequency W0, the generated force response will gradually decrease.

[0034] In the case where the driving force generator has a maximum driving force generator value (maximum driving energy), in the case of electromagnet (coil) drive, this may correspond to a maximum voltage, for example, the maximum driving force generator will only produce a maximum acceleration response value Gmax when it oscillates between positive and negative at the correct timing with the natural frequency W0, and the maximum driving force generator value will generate a smaller acceleration response when operating away from the natural frequency W0, in Figure 1C In the example, the frequency is shifted by 1 / 5 from W0 th Only a negligible acceleration response will be produced, which may be less than 5% of the maximum acceleration response value. In some embodiments, the frequency response characteristics (e.g., natural frequency W0) of the linear actuator 22 can be selected or changed by moving the force element from one position to another. In some embodiments, the frequency response characteristics can include multiple peak frequencies.

[0035] Again, because the frequency response spectrum 20 is defined by the force response curve 18, which is in turn defined by one or more force elements that define the reaction force path, the frequency response spectrum 20 of the linear actuator 22 can be considered to be a property of the linear actuator, similar to how the force response curve 18 can be a property of the linear actuator 22 or details of one or more force elements are properties of the linear actuator 22.

[0036] Linear actuators can be used in many technical and industrial fields. Figure 2A 2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device 200 incorporating a computing device 202 and a linear actuator 204. In some embodiments, the computing device 202 can be used to control the operation of the linear actuator 204. In some embodiments, the computing device 202 can be a controller. In this particular exemplary embodiment, the electronic device 200 is a mobile phone 206 having a screen 208. It is understood that the device 200 can be any other type of electronic device and can include or omit the screen 208.

[0037] Figure 2B2 is a block diagram illustrating components of an exemplary computing device 202. As shown, computing device 202 includes a processor 252, a memory 254, and an input / output interface 256.

[0038] Processor 252 may be implemented as a general purpose microprocessor or microcontroller, a digital signal processing (DSP) processor, an integrated circuit, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a reconfigurable processor, a programmable read-only memory (PROM), and many other designs.

[0039] The memory 254 may include any suitable combination of computer-readable memories of suitable types, which may be located internally, externally, and may be accessed by the processor directly or via a network (such as the Internet) by wired or wireless means. The computer-readable memory may be implemented as a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a compact disk read-only memory (CDROM), an electro-optical memory, a magneto-optical memory, an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a ferroelectric RAM (FRAM), etc.

[0040] The computing device 202 may have one or more input / output (I / O) interfaces 256 to allow communication with a human user and / or with another computer through associated input, output, or input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, touch screen, antenna, port, etc. Each I / O interface may enable the computer to communicate and / or exchange data with other components, access and connect to network resources, serve applications and / or execute other computing applications by connecting to a network (or networks) capable of carrying data, including the Internet, Ethernet, plain old telephone service (POTS) lines, public switched telephone network (PSTN), integrated services digital network (ISDN), digital subscriber line (DSL), coaxial cable, fiber optic, satellite, mobile, wireless (e.g., Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, WiMAX), SS7 signaling network, fixed line, local area network, wide area network, etc.

[0041] It will be appreciated that the computing device 202 may perform a function or process by hardware or a combination of hardware and software. For example, the hardware may include logic gates that are part of a processor silicon chip. Software (e.g., applications, processes) may be in the form of data such as computer-readable instructions 258 stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory accessible by one or more processing units. With respect to a computer or processing unit, the expression "configured to" involves the presence of hardware or a combination of hardware and software that is capable of performing the associated function.

[0042] In some embodiments, the computing device 202 can be configured to selectively activate and / or deactivate the linear actuator 204. For example, the computing device 202 can be configured to transmit a control signal, such as to cause the electromagnet to receive a voltage input with the correct timing to oscillate between positive and negative at or near the natural or peak response frequency W0 so as to efficiently utilize the drive energy when acceleration is applied. Figure 3A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary linear actuator device 300 that can be used as a linear actuator 204 to provide tactile feedback. As shown, a mass 302 is contained within a housing 326 that includes an electromagnet 310 and one or more force elements 320, 325, which are located at force element locations 360, 365, respectively. In some embodiments, the mass 302 can include a ferromagnetic core 302a and magnets 302b, 302c. In some embodiments, the magnets 302b, 302c can be arranged to have opposite polarities. The mass 302 can move linearly back and forth along a linear displacement path 324. The linear path 324 can be defined by a housing 326 that defines a linear path 326 that is longer than the mass 302, and the mass 302 can slide in engagement or otherwise move therein.

[0043] The electromagnet 310 can be configured to selectively apply a driving force to the mass 302 to cause it to move along the linear path 324. In some embodiments, the electromagnet 310 can be magnetically coupled with the permanent magnetic field of the magnets 302b, 302c. It will be appreciated that while the embodiments described herein relate to a movable mass 302 that includes magnetic elements, embodiments in which the mass does not include magnetic elements are also contemplated. Likewise, while the embodiments described herein show a mass with a permanent magnet arrangement and a driving force generated by an electromagnet, it will be appreciated that alternative embodiments may have a driving force generator other than the electromagnet 310.

[0044] The linear actuator 300 includes one or more force elements 320, 325 contained within a housing 326. As shown, the force element 325 is located at a force element location 365 within the cavity 355. In some embodiments, the force element 325 can be located at any one of a plurality of different force element locations 365 within the cavity 355. For example, Figure 3B An example embodiment is shown in which force element 325 is located at force element location 365' within cavity 355 instead of force element location 365. Similarly, force element 320 may be located at any of a plurality of force element locations 360 within cavity 350. It is understood that although Figure 3A and Figure 3B Two force elements 320, 325 are shown in FIG. 1 , but it is contemplated that one of the force elements 320, 325 may be omitted in some embodiments.

[0045] In some embodiments, the force elements 320, 325 may be one or more springs connected to the mass 302 and / or one or more magnets providing a permanent magnetic field coupled to the magnetic field of the mass 302, and various combinations thereof. It will be appreciated that similar force response curves may be achieved using spring elements as force elements or using magnetic elements as force elements. Therefore, the force response curve and the corresponding frequency response curve associated with the linear actuator 300 may be more important attributes than the details of the interaction between the force elements 320, 325 and the mass 302. Many other force element configurations (e.g., force elements including multiple magnets and / or electromagnet elements with perpendicular or opposite polarities, or springs or other force elements of a non-electromagnetic nature) and corresponding force response curve characteristics and frequency response characteristics are described in International Patent Publication WO2022 / 020961.

[0046] In some embodiments, changing the position of the force elements 320, 325 will affect the force response curve and the corresponding frequency response curve of the linear actuator 300. For example, in the case of a magnetic force element, a change in the distance between the magnet 320, 325 and the mass 302 will cause the relative strength of the magnetic field to change as the position of the mass 302 within the displacement path 324 changes. Similarly, in the case of one or more spring elements, moving the spring closer to or farther away from the mass 302 will cause the spring to be more compressed or more stretched, which will affect the force response curve. Therefore, changing the position 365, 365' of one or more force elements 320, 325 will affect the force response curve of the linear actuator 300 and the amplitude and resonant frequency of the frequency response curve associated therewith.

[0047] Figure 3C A frequency response curve 390 associated with a linear actuator 300 (with a force element 325 at a force element location 365) and a second frequency response curve 390' associated with a linear actuator 300' (with a force element 325 at a second force element location 365') are shown. As shown, the frequency response curve 390' has a natural frequency W1 and a peak amplitude that are different from the natural frequency W0 and the peak amplitude of the frequency response curve 390. Therefore, it can be considered that one or more peak response frequencies (i.e., natural frequencies) of the frequency response curve 390 of the linear actuator 300 may change as one or more force elements 320, 325 move from a force element location 360, 365 to another force element location 360', 365'.

[0048] In some embodiments, the housing 326 can be manufactured with multiple force element locations to allow for subsequent addition of force elements. In this way, the same housing 326 can be manufactured and adapted to different situations and usage requirements by allowing specific positioning of force elements within the force element locations to achieve the force response curve and / or frequency response curve required for a specific application. In this way, haptic manufacturers can reduce production costs by standardizing the production of linear actuators and housings while meeting the needs of different electronic device manufacturers.

[0049] The force elements 320, 325 may be retained in the force element positions 360, 365, 365' by any suitable means. In some embodiments, the force elements 320, 325 may be retained in the force element positions 360, 365 by an interference fit or a friction fit or any other method suitable for securing an object in space. In some embodiments, the force elements 320, 325 may be retained in the force element positions 360, 365, 365' by securing using an adhesive. In some embodiments, one or more force elements 320, 325 may be moved between different force element positions.

[0050] Figure 4A is a schematic diagram of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus 400 having one or more positionally adjustable elements 370, 375. The linear actuator 400 may include many of the same elements as the linear actuator 300, including an electromagnet 310, one or more force elements 320, 325, a mass 302, and one or more cavities 350, 355 containing a plurality of force element positions 360, 365.

[0051] As shown, the force element 325 is mechanically connected or fixed to the position adjustable element 375, so that movement of the position adjustable element 375 causes the force element 325 to move from one force element position 365 to a different force element position 365'. In some embodiments, the position adjustable element 375 can be configured for bidirectional movement and can move the force element from the force element position 365 to the force element position 365' and back to the force element position 365 (or to another force element position different from the positions 365, 365' in the cavity 355). Similarly, the force element 320 can be connected to the position adjustable element 370, so that movement of the position adjustable element 370 causes the force element 320 to move from one force element position 360 to a different force element position 360', similar to the manner in which the position adjustable element 375 is connected to the force element 325.

[0052] In an embodiment where the force element 325 is a spring, the spring may have two opposing ends, a first end of which may be fixed to the position adjustable element. Thus, movement of the position adjustable element may move the position of the first end. The spring may be mechanically coupled to the mass, and movement of the position adjustable element 375 from the force element position 365 to the force element position 365' may cause the spring to compress and increase the stored potential energy, while movement from the force element position 365' to the force element position 365 may cause the spring to decompress or stretch to a certain extent.

[0053] The position adjustable element 375 can be operably connected to a mover that controls movement of the position adjustable element 375 (thereby controlling the force element 325 to remain at the force element position 365). In some embodiments, the mover can be an electric motor that can be controlled by the controller 202. In some embodiments, the mover can be a manual actuator (e.g., a device operator manually adjusts the position of the position adjustable element 375). In some embodiments, the controller 202 can adjust the position of the force element 325 by activating the mover, thereby changing the force response curve and / or frequency response curve of the linear actuator 400.

[0054] Figure 5A is a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary linear actuator apparatus 500. Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the linear actuator device 500 includes a generally cylindrical housing 526. In this embodiment, the force elements 320, 325 are permanent magnets and the mass block 302 includes magnetic elements 302b, 302c. In some embodiments, the mass block 302 may include counterweights 590, 595. The counterweights 590, 595 may be included to achieve a desired total mass of the mass block 302, a desired total mass of the linear actuator device, a desired mass distribution within the linear actuator device, and / or a desired acceleration amplitude of the mass block 302. As shown, the housing 526 includes threads 556 on an inner surface of the cavity 555 and a position adjustable element 575 implemented as a threaded nut that engages with the threads 556. The force element 325 is mechanically coupled to the nut 575 such that rotation of the nut 575 causes the force element 325 to move from a first force element position 565 (e.g., Figure 5C As shown) to a different force element position 565'. Figure 5C and Figure 5D As shown, there is a difference (delta) 580 between the positions 565, 565' of the force element 325. The difference 580 in the force element position of the force element 325 may result in changes in the force response curve and the frequency response curve 390, 390' associated with the linear actuator 500, such as Figure 3C shown.

[0055] like FIG. 5A to FIG. 5DAs shown, the position adjustable element 570 can be a nut coupled to the force element 320 and can operate in a manner similar to the position adjustable element 575. That is, the position adjustable element 570 can be rotated (whether manually by a user or by a motor configured to impart a rotational motion) and engage with threads on the inner surface of the housing 526 to move the force element 320 from a first force element position to a second force element position within the cavity 550. Moving the force element 320 to a different force element position may change the force response curve and / or frequency response curve 390, 390' associated with the linear actuator 500. Although Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A , Figure 5B , Figure 5C and Figure 5D An embodiment is shown in which two force elements 320 , 325 may be located at various force element positions within the housing 326 , 526 , but it is contemplated that in some embodiments only one position adjustable element 375 may be included and the other force elements may have fixed positions within the housing 526 .

[0056] Although the embodiments described herein use nuts as position adjustable elements 370, 375, it is understood that any type of position adjustable element may be used as long as the position of the position adjustable element can be controlled by a mover. For example, various mechanical, hydraulic and / or pneumatic mechanisms may be used to control the position of the position adjustable elements 370, 375. As another example, it is not necessary to rotate the position adjustable elements 370, 375 to change the position of the force element 320, and the force element 320 may be moved by linear motion.

[0057] In some embodiments, the computing device 202 may be configured to perform one or more operations including activating and deactivating the electromagnet 310 to affect movement of the mass 302, and / or controlling movement of the position-adjustable elements 370, 375, 570, 575. In some embodiments, the computing device 202 may activate one or more electric motors configured to affect movement (whether rotational, linear, or otherwise) of one or more position-adjustable elements 370, 375, 570, 575 to move the force element 320, 325 from a first force element position 360, 365 to a second force element position 360', 365'. In this manner, the force response curve and frequency response curve of the linear actuator 204, 300, 400, 500, 600 may be adjusted post-manufacturing.

[0058] like Figure 4A and Figure 4BAs shown, in some embodiments, the linear actuator 300, 400, 500 can include a spacer 380. In some embodiments, the spacer 380 is located between the stop 351 of the housing 326 and the force element 320. In this way, the force element 320 can be positioned at the force element position 360 based on the thickness 381 of the spacer 380 (because the thickness 381 of the spacer 380 can prevent the force element 320 from being closer to the end 351 of the cavity 350). For example, Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown, the force element 320 can be moved from a first force element position 360 to a second force element position 360' via the position adjustable element 370, and cannot be moved closer to the stop 351 due to the thickness 381 of the spacer 380. In some embodiments, the thickness 381 of the spacer 380 can be selected to provide a desired force response and / or frequency response curve. For example, the thickness 381 of the spacer can be selected as a function of the peak frequency required or desired for the linear actuator device. Therefore, without modifying the size or manufacturing process of the housing 326 to achieve the desired force response curve and / or frequency response curve, a spacer 380 having a thickness 381 corresponding to the desired frequency response curve and / or force response curve can be selected and placed within the same housing 326 to achieve the desired frequency and / or force response curve.

[0059] In embodiments without a position adjustable element 370 associated with the force element 320, the spacer 380 can be inserted into the housing 326 after manufacturing to position the force element 320 at a specific force element position 360' based on the thickness of the selected spacer 380. In some embodiments, the spacer 380 can be permanently fixed within the housing 326. In some embodiments, the spacer 380 can be removably retained within the housing 326. The spacer 380 can be removed and replaced with another spacer having a different thickness to position the force element 320 at a different force element position 360, thereby resulting in a different force response curve and / or frequency response curve of the linear actuator 300, 400, 500.

[0060] In some embodiments, the position of one or more force elements 320, 325 can be selected and secured to the housing 326 during manufacturing. For example, in some embodiments, a tool such as a fixture or a robot can be used to position the force element 320 relative to the housing 326 at the force element position 360. The force element 320 can be secured relative to the housing 326 by any suitable method, including the use of an adhesive (e.g., glue), welding, etc. Once the force element 320 is secured at a selected position relative to the housing 326 (e.g., when secured by an adhesive or welding), the fixture or robot can be removed. Thus, embodiments including the use of a spacer 380 are contemplated, as well as other configurations that do not require the use of a spacer 380.

[0061] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary linear actuator device 600 that includes additional spacers 610, 615, 385 in addition to the spacer 380. It will be appreciated that various embodiments described herein may include one spacer 380, one spacer 385, and / or two or more spacers 380, 385 in accordance with the principles described herein.

[0062] Therefore, if the linear actuator device 600 needs to be adjusted or slightly adjusted in configuration to achieve the desired force response curve and / or frequency response curve characteristics, one or more spacers 610, 615 can be added and / or removed between the stop member of the housing and the force elements 320, 325, thereby achieving relatively fine adjustment of the force element positions 320, 325 in a relatively simple manner.

[0063] Figure 7 is a flow chart depicting an exemplary method of operating the actuator device 300, 400, 500, 600. In block 710, a driving force may be applied to the mass 302. In some embodiments, the driving force is time-varying. Examples of time-varying forces may include square waves and other types of waveforms. In some embodiments, the driving force may be selectively activated and deactivated by the electromagnet 310 to apply a force by interacting with the magnetic field of the mass 302. The generated force may cause the mass 302 to accelerate along the linear displacement path 324. In block 720, a restoring force may be applied to the mass 302 when the mass is displaced from the rest position. The restoring force may be oriented toward the rest position along the linear displacement path. The magnitude of the restoring force may vary depending on the position of the mass 302 in the linear displacement path 324, consistent with the force response curve and frequency response curve of the mass 302 in the linear displacement path 324.

[0064] In some embodiments, the force and / or frequency response curve of the linear actuator 300, 400, 500, 600 may have certain desired characteristics (e.g., peak response frequency, peak response amplitude, etc.). In some embodiments, a force element location 360 may be selected for the force element 320 when the housing 326 is assembled, the selected force element location 360 being selected because it will result in a linear actuator device having the desired force and / or frequency response curve characteristics.

[0065] In some embodiments, the spacer 380 can be placed or sandwiched within the housing 326 when assembled. For example, the spacer 380 can be located between the stop 351 of the housing 326 and the force element 320. The thickness 381 of the spacer 380 can be selected so that the force element 320 is positioned at the desired force element location 360 based on the thickness 381 of the spacer 380. It will be understood that sandwiching the spacer between the stop and the force element 320 means that there is no unfilled space between the stop and the force element 320, but does not necessarily mean that the spacer 380 is in direct physical contact with the stop or the force element 320. For example, it is contemplated that in some embodiments, the spacer 380 can be placed between two other spacers 380 (one spacer in contact with the force element 320 and the other spacer in contact with the stop), and the middle spacer 380 can be said to be sandwiched between the force element 320 and the stop.

[0066] In block 730, the mass 302 oscillates at a first oscillation frequency due to the application of the time-varying driving and restoring forces. In some embodiments, the oscillation frequency of the mass 302 corresponds to a peak response frequency when the force elements 320, 325 are at the force locations 360, 365. In some embodiments, the oscillation frequency of the mass 302 may be a frequency other than the peak response frequency when the force elements 320, 325 are at the force element locations 360, 365. In some embodiments, the peak response frequency is a desired frequency response characteristic for selecting the force element locations 360 and / or the thickness 381 of the spacer 380.

[0067] In block 740, at least one force element 320, 325 may be moved from a first position 360, 365 to a second force element position 360', 365'. In some embodiments, force element position 360' may be associated with a second peak response frequency. In some embodiments, the second peak response frequency is lower than the first peak response frequency. In some embodiments, the second peak response frequency is higher than the first peak response frequency. In some embodiments, force element position 360' may be associated with a different force response curve than force element position 360 (when force element 320 is positioned therein).

[0068] In block 750, mass 302 oscillates at a second oscillation frequency due to the application of the time-varying driving and restoring forces. In some embodiments, the second oscillation frequency of mass 302 may correspond to a second peak response frequency when force elements 320, 325 are at force element locations 360', 365'. In some embodiments, the second oscillation frequency of mass 302 may be a frequency other than the second peak response frequency when force elements 320, 325 are at force element locations 360', 365'.

[0069] Therefore, it can be considered that applying a time-varying driving force and applying a restoring force causes the mass 302 to oscillate at a first oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path when the at least one force element 320 is located at a first position 360 among a plurality of positions 360, 360', and causes the mass 302 to oscillate at a second oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path when the at least one force element 320 is located at a second position 360' among a plurality of positions 360, 360'.

[0070] In some embodiments, the force element position 360 can be changed to a force element position 360' by a position adjustable element 370. In some embodiments, the position adjustable element 370 is a screw configured to engage with threads in the housing 326. In some embodiments, the force element 320 is fixed to the position adjustable element 370 such that moving the position adjustable element 370 causes the force element 320 to move from the force element position 360 to the force element position 360'.

[0071] It is understood that in the present disclosure, principles related to one or more force elements 320, 325, force element positions 360, 365, 360', 365', cavities 350, 355, position adjustable elements 370, 375 may be understood to apply to only one of these elements 320, 360, 350, 370, or to the other of these elements 325, 365, 355, 375, or to both sets of elements. In addition, it is understood that embodiments are contemplated that include more than two sets of such elements in a linear actuator device.

[0072] The different force elements described above can be combined at different longitudinal locations of the linear displacement path to produce additional, different effects on the proof mass and allow the force response curve to be tailored to the needs of a particular embodiment. Likewise, the proof mass can have more than one magnetized segment, and if more than one magnetized segment is present, they can be magnetized in different directions.

[0073] Some embodiments described herein may allow for a single haptic actuator model that can be industrially produced to reduce production costs and easily adapt to different situations, such as different force response curve characteristics, the driving frequency of the electromagnet 310 may vary from electronic device manufacturer to electronic device manufacturer. In some embodiments, the linear actuator device 300, 400, 500 may adapt to the above situations during use within a single electronic device.

[0074] The following description explores some alternative force elements, their effect on the force response curve, and in turn on the frequency response curve. It has been found that some force elements and combinations thereof are better suited to provide a satisfactory wider band frequency response spectrum.

[0075] It will be understood that the examples described and shown above are intended to be exemplary only.

[0076] For example, other types of linear actuators besides haptic actuators may also benefit from a reaction force path or force element as described above. In addition, there are many ways to implement a linear guide that can provide the ability for a mass to move along a linear displacement path while also constraining the ability to move within the linear displacement path.

[0077] The scope is therefore indicated by the following claims.

Claims

1. An actuator device comprising: a housing defining a linear displacement path; a mass movably mounted in the linear displacement path within the housing, the mass having a magnetic segment; an electromagnet fixed relative to the housing and configured to selectively apply an acceleration to the mass along an orientation of the linear displacement path; a reaction force path that generates a restoring force when the mass is displaced from a rest position, the restoring force being oriented along the linear displacement path toward the rest position, the magnitude of the restoring force varying with position of the mass in the linear displacement path according to a force response curve that defines a frequency response curve associated with a frequency of motion of the mass in the linear displacement path; Wherein, the shell has multiple force element positions for receiving the force element of the reaction force path, the peak response frequency of the frequency response curve changes from one of the multiple force element positions to another, and the force element is maintained at one of the multiple force element positions.

2. The actuator device according to claim 1 further comprises a position-adjustable element for holding the force element, the position-adjustable element being movable to change the force element position between the plurality of force element positions.

3. The actuator device according to claim 2, wherein: The force element is a magnet fixed to the position-adjustable element, and the position-adjustable element moves the magnet.

4. The actuator device according to claim 2, wherein: The force element is a spring having two opposite ends, one of the ends being fixed to the position-adjustable element, and the position-adjustable element moves the position of one of the ends.

5. The actuator device of claim 1, further comprising a spacer located between a stopper of the housing and the force element, the spacer maintaining the force element at one of the plurality of force element positions based on a thickness thereof.

6. The actuator device according to claim 5, wherein: The spacer is interchangeable with another spacer to hold the force element at another position among the plurality of force element positions based on a thickness of the other spacer.

7. The actuator device according to claim 1, wherein: The magnetic segment includes two permanent magnets separated by a ferromagnetic material.

8. The actuator device according to claim 2, wherein: Each of the plurality of force element positions is associated with a corresponding force response curve.

9. The actuator device according to claim 2, wherein: The position adjustable element is a screw, and the housing includes a thread for receiving the screw.

10. The actuator apparatus of claim 2, further comprising a mover configured to affect movement of the position adjustable element.

11. The actuator device according to claim 10, wherein: The mover is controlled by a computing device.

12. The actuator device according to claim 5, wherein: The spacer is a washer.

13. A method of operating an actuator device having a mass movably mounted in a linear displacement path defined relative to a housing, the actuator device also having a reaction force path, the reaction force path having a plurality of force elements, the plurality of force elements including at least one force element having a plurality of positions defined relative to the housing, the method comprising: applying a time-varying drive force to the mass at a first drive frequency along the orientation of the linear displacement path, When the mass is displaced along the linear displacement path away from the rest position, the reaction force path applies a restoring force to the mass, the restoring force being oriented along the linear displacement path and toward the rest position, the magnitude of the restoring force varying with the position of the mass in the linear displacement path according to a force response curve, the force response curve defining a frequency response curve of the mass in the linear displacement path, and moving the at least one force element from a first position in the plurality of positions to a second position in the plurality of positions; Wherein, when the at least one force element is located at the first position among the multiple positions, applying the time-varying driving force and applying the restoring force causes the mass block to oscillate at a first oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path, and when the at least one force element is located at the second position among the multiple positions, applying the time-varying driving force and applying the restoring force causes the mass block to oscillate at a second oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: Moving the at least one force element from a first position of the plurality of positions to a second position of the plurality of positions includes moving a position adjustable element coupled to the at least one force element.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one force element is a magnet fixed to the position adjustable element.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one force element is a spring having two opposite ends, one of the ends is fixed to the position-adjustable element, and the position-adjustable element moves the position of one of the ends.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The position adjustable element is a screw, and the housing includes a thread for receiving the screw.

18. A method of assembling an actuator apparatus having a mass movably mounted in a linear displacement path defined relative to a housing, the actuator apparatus further having a reaction force path having a plurality of force elements including at least one force element having a plurality of positions defined relative to the housing, the method comprising: selecting a spacer corresponding to a corresponding position in the plurality of positions from a plurality of spacers having different thicknesses, the different thicknesses being associated with different positions in the plurality of positions; as well as A selected spacer is sandwiched between a corresponding one of the force elements and a stopper of the housing, the selected spacer setting the position of the force element to one of the plurality of positions.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising: removing the selected spacer from between a respective one of the force elements and a stopper of the housing, selecting another spacer from the plurality of spacers corresponding to another corresponding position in the plurality of positions, and Another selected spacer is sandwiched between a corresponding one of the force elements and the stopper of the housing, and the other selected spacer sets the position of the force element at another corresponding position among the plurality of positions.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising: applying a time-varying driving force to the mass along an orientation of the linear displacement path; the reaction force path applies a restoring force to the mass when the mass is displaced along the linear displacement path away from the rest position, the restoring force being oriented along the linear displacement path toward the rest position, the magnitude of the restoring force varying with the position of the mass in the linear displacement path according to a force response curve defining a frequency response curve of the mass in the linear displacement path; as well as Applying the time-varying drive force and applying the spring force back causes the mass to oscillate at a first oscillation frequency in the linear displacement path when the at least one force element is in one of the plurality of positions.

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