Claims
- 1. An electromagnetic actuator comprising a body, an armature movable within said body for reciprocation along a longitudinal axis, a pair of supports extending from said body to said armature at longitudinally spaced locations to support said armature and a coil assembly located in said body and encompassing said armature, each of said supports including a resilient plate member extending normal to said longitudinal axis and secured to said body, said plate member flexing in a direction of said longitudinal axis upon application of an electromagnetic force between said coil assembly and said armature, wherein said plate members include a plurality of concentric rings interconnected to one another by a plurality of radial bridges for inhibiting relative torsional displacement of said armature with respect to said body.
- 2. An actuator according to claim 1, wherein said radial bridges are staggered circumferentially to provide a flexible beam between adjacent ones of said concentric rings.
- 3. An actuator according to claim 2 wherein said adjacent concentric rings are interconnected by diametrically opposed said radial bridges.
- 4. An actuator according to claim 3 wherein radially adjacent ones of said radial bridges are staggered 90°.
- 5. An actuator according to claim 1 wherein said armature includes a tube extending between said plate members and secured thereto by pins passing through said plate members and into said tube.
- 6. An actuator according to claim 5 wherein said pins are an interference fit in said tube.
- 7. An actuator according to claim 5, wherein said tube is non-magnetic.
- 8. An actuator according to claim 1 wherein said coil assembly includes a coil and a pair of bobbins located at opposite ends of said coil, said bobbins extending between said coil and said body to locate said coil axially and having an axially extending shoulder to support said coil radially.
- 9. An actuator according to claim 8 wherein said shoulder of one of said bobbins extends between said armature and said coil.
- 10. An actuator according to claim 9 wherein another of said bobbins has a radial end face directed to an end face on said armature, said radial end face of said armature including a recess to receive said armature upon displacements along said longitudinal axis.
- 11. An actuator according to claim 10 wherein a spacer is located between said armature and said other bobbin to maintain said radial face of said armature in spaced relationship with an end wall of said recess.
- 12. An actuator according to claim 8 wherein said coil assembly includes a pair of coils axially spaced along said body and each of which is supported by a pair of bobbins, and said armature includes a pair of magnetizable cores spaced apart from one another and associated with respective ones of said coils.
- 13. An actuator according to claim 12 wherein said cores are supported on a non-magnetic tube extending between said plate members and maintained in spaced relationship by a non-magnetic spacer.
- 14. An electromagnetic actuator comprising a body, an armature moveable within said body for reciprocation along a longitudinal axis, a pair of supports extending from said body to said armature at longitudinally spaced locations to support said armature and a coil assembly located in said body and encompassing said armature, each of said supports including a resilient member extending normal to said longitudinal axis and secured to said body, said resilient member flexing in a direction of said longitudinal axis upon application of an electromagnetic force between said coil and said armature, thereby providing a bias to said armature, said armature including a magnetizable core mounted on a tube extending between said members and secured thereto by pins passing through said members and into said tube, wherein said pins expanding said tube radially for securing said core to said tube.
- 15. An actuator according to claim 14, wherein said tube is non-magnetic.
- 16. An actuator according to claim 14, wherein each of said resilient members includes a plurality of concentric rings interconnected to one another by a plurality of radial bridges, said radial bridges being staggered circumferentially to provide a flexible beam between adjacent ones of said concentric rings.
- 17. An actuator according to claim 16 wherein said adjacent concentric rings are interconnected by diametrically opposed said radial bridges.
- 18. An actuator according to claim 17 wherein radially adjacent ones of said radial bridges are staggered 90°.
- 19. An electromagnetic actuator comprising a body, an armature moveable within said body for reciprocation along a longitudinal axis, a pair of supports extending from said body to said armature at longitudinally spaced locations to support said armature and a coil assembly located in said body and encompassing said armature, each of said supports including a resilient member for locating said armature radially with respect to said body, said resilient member extending normal to said longitudinal axis and secured to said body, said member flexing in a direction of said longitudinal axis upon application of an electromagnetic force between said coil and said armature thereby providing a bias to said armature, said coil assembly including a coil and a pair of bobbins located at opposite ends of said coil, said bobbins extending between said coil and said body to locate said coil axially and having an axially extending shoulder to support said coil radially, wherein said resilient member and said axially extending shoulder facilitate a radially fixed spatial relationship between said armature and said coil assembly.
- 20. An actuator according to claim 19 wherein said shoulder of one of said bobbins extends between said armature and said coil.
- 21. An actuator according to claim 20 wherein another of said bobbins has a radial end face directed to an end face on said armature, said radial end face of said armature including a recess to receive said armature upon displacements along said longitudinal axis.
- 22. An actuator according to claim 21 wherein a spacer is located between said armature and said other bobbin to maintain said radial face of said armature in spaced relationship with an end wall of said recess.
- 23. An actuator according to claim 19 wherein said coil assembly includes a pair of coils axially spaced along said body and each of which is supported by a pair of bobbins, and said armature includes a pair of magnetizable cores spaced apart from one another and associated with respective ones of said coils.
- 24. An actuator according to claim 23 wherein said cores are supported on a non-magnetic tube extending between said plate members and maintained in spaced relationship by a non-magnetic spacer.
Parent Case Info
This U.S. application is a Continuation in Part of U.S. Ser. No. 566,058 filed on Dec. 1, 1995, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,565 on Sep. 15, 1998.
US Referenced Citations (9)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08/566058 |
Dec 1995 |
US |
Child |
09/041508 |
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US |