The present invention relates to an electromagnetic actuator which drives a moving object in a straight line, using a magnetic force generated at application of direct voltage.
Such a linear electromagnetic actuator which drives a moving object in a straight line, using a magnetic force generated at application of direct voltage, has been known as, for example, VCM, a solenoid, and the like so far. Generally, this kind of electromagnetic actuator has a limited stroke, and cannot obtain a large stroke unlike a rotary motor. The reason is that the larger stroke causes more reduced thrust.
On the other hand, an electromagnetic actuator using a permanent magnet as a moving object has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-94323 (JP-A) and JP-A No. 2002-101631. When a permanent magnet is used as a moving object like the above actuator, the actuator can generate a larger thrust with low voltage than that of an actuator with a moving object which is formed of a magnetic material, though the magnetic material becomes magnetized only when a magnetic force is applied, and a larger stroke can be obtained along with the larger thrust. Especially, as a magnetic reluctance is reduced and a magnetic attraction force is increased by forming a part of a magnetic path with a back yoke when the back yoke is provided and fixed at a position adjacent to the permanent magnet as described in JP-A No. 2002-101631, the further larger thrust than that of an actuator without the back yoke can be realized.
However, a further improved actuator is desired because a further larger thrust is needed in some cases, depending on the use of an electromagnetic actuator.
The object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic actuator which uses a permanent magnet as a moving object, and is configured to realize a larger thrust.
In order to achieve the above-described object, an electromagnetic actuator of the present invention comprises: a fixed core of a magnetic material provided with one pair of cylindrical pole teeth, which coaxially face each other through a gap; exciting coils wound on the fixed core; and a moving object which is movably disposed in the direction of the axis line coaxially with the electromagnet, wherein the moving object includes: one or more cylindrical permanent magnets formed integrally in a cylindrical shape or formed by cylindrically disposing a plurality of magnet pieces of arc-shaped cross section, in which the N pole and the S pole have been magnetized in the radial direction; and a cylindrical movable core of a magnetic material which is coaxially connected to the permanent magnet and is displaced together with the magnet.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the pair of pole teeth in the fixed core are provided on the inner peripheral side of the exciting coils; the moving object is fitted into the inside of the pole teeth; and the permanent magnet is connected to the moving object so that the permanent magnet faces the pole teeth on the outer periphery of the movable core.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the pair of pole teeth in the fixed core are provided on the outer peripheral side of the exciting coils; the moving object is fitted into the outside of the pole teeth; and the permanent magnet is connected to the moving object so that the permanent magnet faces the pole teeth on the inner periphery of the movable core.
In the present invention, the axial length of the permanent magnet is shorter than the disposition length of the pair of pole teeth, and the axial length of the movable core is longer than either of the length of the permanent magnet or the disposition length of the pair of pole teeth.
According to further another aspect of the present invention, the moving object has one permanent magnet; a concave groove in the circumferential direction is formed on the movable core so that the groove faces the pole teeth; the permanent magnet is fitted into the concave groove; and the circumferential surface of the permanent magnet, and that of the movable core, which face the pole teeth, are located on the same circumferential surface.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the moving object comprises two kinds of permanent magnets which are different from each other in the direction of magnetization for the N pole or the S pole, and the two kinds of permanent magnets are plurally alternately disposed in the direction of the axis line.
In this case, preferably, the moving object has three permanent magnets, and the total length of the plurality of permanent magnets and the length of the movable core are substantially the same.
An electromagnetic actuator according to the present invention can obtain a larger thrust, by combining a permanent magnet and a core for forming a moving object, than that of a conventional electromagnetic actuator in which a moving object is formed only with a permanent magnet.
The electromagnet 3 includes a fixed core 10 of a magnetic material, and one set of exciting coils 11 wound on the fixed core 10. The fixed core 10 comprises: one pair of a first pole tooth 10a and a second pole tooth 10 b, which are cylindrical and coaxially face each other through a gap g; flange-type side wall sections 10c and 10c, which extend to the outer peripheral side from the rear end section of each of the pole teeth 10a, 10b; and a cylindrical principal wall section 10d which combines the side wall sections 10c and 10c together at their outer peripheral edge, and the coil 11 is contained inside of the fixed core 10 so that the coil 11 surrounds the outer peripheries of the pole teeth 10a and 10b. The first pole tooth 10a and second pole tooth 10b have the same diameter and the same axial length and are symmetrically disposed. Moreover, the exciting coil 11 is connected to an unillustrated device, and direct voltage is applied to the coil 11.
Here, in the present invention, “magnetic material” means a material which has a property by which the material is magnetized when the material is placed in the magnetic field, but “permanent magnet” is assumed not to be included in the above material.
The object 4 includes: a cylindrical permanent magnet 15, in which the N pole and the S pole have been magnetized in the radial direction; and a cylindrical movable core 16 of a magnetic material which coaxially connected to the permanent magnet 15 and is displaced together with the magnet 15. The permanent magnet 15 has the diameter (outer diameter) larger than the diameter of the movable core 16, and the inner diameter of the permanent magnet 15 is almost equal to the outer diameter of the core 16. Moreover, the movable core 16 is of nearly uniform thickness throughout its length, and its axial length is longer than that of the permanent magnet 15. Here, the length of the movable core 16 is about three times that of the permanent magnet 15 in the present embodiment. And, the permanent magnet 15 is tightly fitted into the outer periphery of the movable core 16, and is fixed in a middle portion.
Therefore, the first core section 16a and the second core section 16b of the movable core 16 are protruded over the both sides in the direction of the axis line of the permanent magnet 15, facing the first pole tooth 10a and the second pole tooth 10b, respectively. These first core section 16a and the second core section 16b have the same axial length, which is almost equal to the length of the permanent magnet 15. Moreover, the distance between the permanent magnet 15 and the first pole tooth 10a, and that between the magnet 15 and the second pole tooth 10b are shorter than that between the first core section 16a and the first pole tooth 10a, and that between the second core section 16b and the second pole tooth 10b, respectively.
However, the first core section 16a and the second core section 16b may not necessarily have the same length as that of the permanent magnet 15, and may be longer or shorter than the length. Moreover, the both sections may be different lengths from each other.
On the other hand, comparisons between the permanent magnet 15, the movable core 16, and the fixed core 10 are performed with regard to the dimensions in the following way. That is, the axial length of the permanent magnet 15 is longer than the gap g between the pair of the pole teeth 10a and 10b, but shorter than the disposition length L of the pole teeth 10a and 10b, and the length of the movable core 16 is longer than the disposition length L of the pole teeth 10a and 10b. More particularly, the length of the permanent magnet 15 is a length covering the length between the both pole teeth 10a and 10b. Especially, the length is determined in such a way that, even when one end of the permanent magnet 15 reaches one moving end of the pole tooth 10a or 10b, the other end of the permanent magnet 15 overlaps a part of the opposite pole tooth 10b or 10a, or approaches the opposite one.
In the electromagnetic actuator 1A with the above-described configuration, when the outer peripheral side of the permanent magnet 15 is magnetized as the N pole, and the inner peripheral side of the permanent magnet 15 is magnetized as the S pole as shown in
Moreover, as the polarities of the poles generated in the two pole teeth 10a and 10b are reversed when a direct current is applied to the exciting coil 11 in the direction opposite to the direction shown in
Here, as the moving object 4 includes the movable core 16 comprising a magnetic material other than the permanent magnet 15, the thrust which acts on the moving object 4 becomes larger than that only with the permanent magnet 15. This point will be sequentially explained in detail as follows.
Here, when there is no movable core 16, a force F which acts on the moving object 4 by magnetic fluxes generated between the moving object 4 (accordingly, the permanent magnet 15) and the first pole tooth 10a, and between the object 4 and the second pole tooth 10b is given by the following formula (1). In this case, the left side in
F∝φpr2−φpl2 (1)
Moreover, even when a fixed back core (refer to “back yoke” in JP-A2002-101631), instead of the movable core 16, is fixed at a fixed position, the force F which acts on the moving object is expressed by the same formula as the formula (1). The reason is, even when the magnetic fluxes φir and φil are generated between the first pole tooth 10a and a first core section of the fixed back core, and between the second pole tooth 10b and a second core section of the back core, respectively, no force acts as a thrust on the moving object by the magnetic fluxes.
And, when the moving object 4 has the movable core 16, and the core 16 is displaced together with the permanent magnet 15 as in the first embodiment, the force F which acts on the moving object 4 is given by the following formula (2).
F∝φpr2+φil2−φpl2−φir (2)
The φpr2 and φpl2 are forces which act on the permanent magnet 15 by magnetic fluxes which are generated between the permanent magnet 15 and the first pole tooth 10a, and between the magnet 15 and the second pole tooth 10b, respectively. The (φil2 and φir2 are forces which act on the moving core 16 by magnetic fluxes which are generated between the movable core 16 and the first pole tooth 10a, and between the core 16 and the second pole tooth 10b, respectively.
Now, when a current flowing in a non-energized state of the exciting coil 11 is 0A as shown in
φp1=Fmp/(Rpl+Ril) (3)
φp2=Fmp/(Rpr+Rir) (4)
Here, for example, when the permanent magnet 15 is at the center of symmetry (neutral position), the following formulae are obtained:
Rpl=Rpr (5)
Ril=Rir (6)
Then, φp1=φp2 is derived from the formulae (3) and (4). Accordingly, it can be understood from the above formulae (1) and (2) that no force acts on the moving object 4.
However, as the formulae (5) and (6) do not hold true when the permanent magnet 15 is not at the center of symmetry, a force acts on the moving object 4 to cause a holding force.
Then, when a current flows through the exciting coil 11, magnetic fluxes φc1, φc2, and φc3 caused by the current are generated in the electromagnetic actuator as shown in
φc1=Fmc/Rt (7)
φc2=Fmc/(Rpl+Rpr) (8)
φc3=Fmc/(Ril+Rir) (9)
Then, the following formulae (10), (11), (12), and (13) are obtained by the principle of superposition:
φpl=φp1−φc2 (10)
φil=φp1−c3 (11)
φpr=φp2+φc2 (12)
φir=φp2+φc3 (13)
Here, when there is no movable core 16, a force which acts on the moving object 4 (the permanent magnet 15) is obtained as follows by substituting the formulae (10) and (12) for the formula (1):
Moreover, as the magnetic reluctances Ril and Rir are small between the first core section of the fixed back core and the first pole tooth 10a, and between the second core section of the fixed back core and the second pole tooth 10b, respectively, when there is the fixed back-core, which does not move, inside the permanent magnet 15, the magnetic fluxes φp1 and φp2 become larger in the formula (14) to make the force F which acts on the moving object 4 larger than that of a case without the fixed back core.
And, when the moving object 4 has the movable core 16 which is displaced together with the permanent magnet 15 as in the above-described embodiment, the force including φil2 and φir2 acts on the movable core 16 by the magnetic fluxes generated between the movable core 16 and the first pole tooth 10a and between the core 16 and the second pole tooth 10b as shown in the formula (2). Moreover, as the changes in the formulae (11) and (12) are in proportion to φc3 (accordingly, in inverse proportion to Ril and Rir), it is understood that the force F which acts on the whole moving object 4 becomes further larger than that of a case without the fixed back core. Moreover, the closer the movable core 16 gets to the first or the second pole tooth 10a or 10b, the smaller the magnetic reluctance Ril or Rir becomes between the core 16 and the first pole tooth 10a or between the core 16 and the second one 10b. Accordingly, the thrust becomes larger. Thus, as the moving object 4 has the movable core 16 of a magnetic material, other than the permanent magnet 15, the thrust which acts on the moving object 4 becomes much larger than that of a case only with the permanent magnet 15 to cause a larger stroke along with the larger thrust.
As other portions of the second embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are applied to the same portions, and the description of the same portions will be omitted.
As the surface of the outer periphery of the permanent magnet 15, and that of the outer peripheries of the both core sections 16a and 16b of the movable core 16 are located on the same circumferential surface in the second embodiment, magnetic reluctances Ril between the first core section 16a and the first pole tooth 10a, and Rir between the second core section 16b and the second pole tooth 10b are small than Ril and Rir in the first embodiment, respectively. Accordingly, as magnetic fluxes φp1, and φp2, which are generated between them, become larger, a force F which acts on the moving object 4 becomes further larger than that of the first embodiment.
As other portions of the present third embodiment are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are applied to the same portions, and the description of the same portions will be omitted.
In
As other portions of the present fourth embodiment are substantially the same as those of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the second embodiment are applied to the same portions, and the description of the same portions will be omitted. Here, the permanent magnet 15 can be provided so that the magnet 15 is protruded over the inner side from the inner peripheral surface of the movable core 16, and this configuration and that of the first embodiment are opposite to each other with regard a relation between the inside and the outside.
As other portions of the present fifth embodiment are substantially the same as those of the fourth embodiment, the same reference numerals as those in the fourth embodiment are applied to the same portions, and the description of the same portions will be omitted.
Here, though each of the cylindrical permanent magnets 15, 15A, 15B, and 15C used in the above-described embodiments are completely integrated into one body, each of them may be divided into a plurality of magnet pieces.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2003-384047 | Nov 2003 | JP | national |