Electromagnetic Actuator with Shared Coil and Core Legs
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromagnetic actuator devices with multiple plunger units face challenges in achieving a compact design within spatially confined installations, such as combustion engines, due to limitations in arranging adjacent actuators with core, coil, and plunger units, which also increase production complexity in mass production.
Innovation Solution
The electromagnetic actuator device features a core unit with a single coil that interacts with multiple plunger units, designed in configurations like U-shaped, E-shaped, or H-shaped to minimize distance between plunger units, using permanent magnets and magnetically active flow guiding elements to enable bistable motion and reduce reciprocal magnetic influence, while minimizing the number of coils.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple individual actuators with separate cores and coils are arranged adjacent to each other, then the actuator device can achieve the required distance between plunger units, but the overall device size and production complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple individual actuators into a single integrated core unit with multiple legs, where each leg interacts with a plunger unit. This merging approach allows multiple plunger units to be actuated by one shared coil, reducing the overall device volume while maintaining the necessary spacing between plunger units through the spatial arrangement of the legs.
Solution Approach 2:
The single core unit serves multiple functions by providing multiple legs that can each interact with different plunger units. The shared coil means acts universally to actuate all plunger units, eliminating the need for separate coils for each actuator and thereby reducing device complexity and size.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple individual actuators with separate cores and coils are used, then each plunger unit can be independently actuated, but the production outlay and manufacturing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate coil components into a single shared coil means that is positioned to interact with multiple plunger units simultaneously. This reduces the total number of components and simplifies manufacturing, while the core unit's leg structure maintains the capability to independently actuate each plunger unit when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The core unit is segmented into multiple legs, each capable of interacting with a specific plunger unit. This segmentation allows independent actuation capability while using a single shared coil, reducing overall device complexity compared to having separate actuators for each plunger unit.
3Volume of moving object
If a single core unit with multiple legs is used to interact with multiple plunger units, then the device becomes more compact, but the magnetic interaction between plunger units may interfere with each other
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces magnetically active flow guiding elements as intermediaries between the core unit and plunger units. These elements guide and shape the magnetic flux, ensuring that the magnetic field from the shared coil is directed appropriately to each plunger unit while minimizing unwanted magnetic interaction between adjacent plunger units.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow guiding elements provide localized magnetic flux guidance, creating distinct magnetic interaction zones for each plunger unit. This local quality control ensures that each plunger unit receives the necessary magnetic influence from the shared coil while reducing harmful reciprocal magnetic influence between neighboring plunger units.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration results in a compact, efficient, and cost-effective actuator design suitable for limited installation dimensions, optimizing component usage and manufacturing efficiency, enabling precise positioning in applications like camshaft adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
a core unit (10) which is designed to interact with a plurality of plunger units (20, 22) and has allocated to it one (18) coil means, by energizing which the plurality of plunger units (20, 22) can be moved
Implementation Method 2
at least one of the plunger units, in particular where engaged and/or operating with the core unit, is provided with permanent magnet means
Data Source
AI summary
An electromagnetic actuator device has a core unit with a coil device designed to cooperate with armature units displaceably guided relative to the core unit in response to current applied to the coil device, wherein the core unit is designed to cooperate with a plurality of spatially separated plunger units of the armatures so that an electromagnetic interaction takes place with the plurality of plunger units in response to current applied to a coil of the coil device.