Electromagnetic Actuator Coil With Wrapped Flexible PCB Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current linear electromagnetic actuators have a large footprint due to separate electronic circuit enclosures and rigid printed circuit boards, which increase complexity and cost, and are limited by the size of the enclosure's surface area.
Innovation Solution
A coil with an integrated flexible printed circuit board wound around the electrical winding, eliminating the need for additional cables and connectors, and encapsulated with resin or plastic for mechanical robustness and insulation, allowing direct soldering of winding ends onto the circuit board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a rigid printed circuit board is used for the electronic circuit, then the circuit can be implemented with standard components, but the footprint of the actuator increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a flat, two-dimensional rigid printed circuit board to a three-dimensional flexible circuit board that can be wrapped around the coil winding. This dimensional change allows the electronic circuit to utilize the cylindrical surface area of the coil, effectively distributing components across a curved surface rather than a flat plane, thereby reducing the overall footprint while maintaining manufacturing feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
The flexible printed circuit board is wrapped around and integrated with the coil winding structure, nesting the electronic circuit within the existing actuator geometry. This nesting approach eliminates the need for a separate external enclosure and allows the circuit to occupy space that would otherwise be empty or require additional external housing
2Ease of manufacture
If the electronic circuit is attached to one of the larger sides of the parallelepiped, then the circuit can be easily mounted, but the size of the printed circuit board is limited by the surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves from mounting the circuit on a flat two-dimensional surface (the larger side of the parallelepiped) to wrapping the circuit around the three-dimensional cylindrical surface of the coil winding. This provides virtually unlimited surface area for component placement, constrained only by the coil's circumference and length, rather than being limited by the actuator's external dimensions
3Ease of operation
If additional cables and connectors are used to connect the electronic circuit to the solenoid, then the circuit can be connected, but the complexity and cost of implementation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the electronic circuit board with the coil winding structure by wrapping the flexible circuit around the coil. The circuit board itself becomes the connection medium, with conductive traces that directly interface with the coil terminals, eliminating the need for separate cables and connectors while maintaining electrical connectivity
4Reliability
If a separate plastic enclosure is used for the electronic circuit, then the circuit is protected, but the overall footprint of the actuator increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the electronic circuit enclosure function with the coil winding structure itself. The flexible printed circuit board is wrapped around the coil and secured in place, using the coil's own geometry as the mounting structure and eliminating the need for a separate external enclosure, thereby maintaining protection while reducing footprint
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
The solution results in a compact, cost-effective, and simplified implementation with reduced parasitic capacitances and improved noise immunity, eliminating the need for external enclosures and enabling extended component assembly on the actuator's outer surface.
Implementation Method 1
The solution results in a compact, cost-effective, and simplified implementation with reduced parasitic capacitances and improved noise immunity
Implementation Method 2
linear electromagnetic actuators use for their operation the force of attraction exerted on a moving part, usually referred to as a moving plunger, by an electromagnet consisting of a solenoid and a core of ferromagnetic material
Data Source
AI summary
Coil for an electromagnetic actuator, comprising: a support; an electrical winding comprising a plurality of turns wound around the support; an electronic circuit which comprises a flexible printed circuit board on which there are arranged one or more electronic components and which is wound, at least in part, around the electrical winding. The disclosure further relates to an electromagnetic actuator comprising such a coil.