阅读说明：本技术 用于具有永磁体的螺线管的系统和方法 (System and method for solenoid with permanent magnet ) 是由 J·赖特 M·佩尔曼 于 2020-10-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：提供了一种螺线管。所述螺线管包括外壳、极片、与所述外壳形成在一起或耦合到所述外壳的端板、被布置在所述外壳内的导线线圈、被布置在所述极片和所述端板之间的永磁体、被配置为响应于施加到所述导线线圈的电流而在第一位置和第二位置之间选择性地移动的电枢、以及被配置为偏置所述电枢的弹簧。当所述导线线圈断电时,所述电枢维持在第一位置和第二位置中的至少一者。所述第一位置被配置为由所述弹簧来维持,并且所述第二位置被配置为由所述电枢和所述永磁体之间的穿过所述电枢和所述极片之间的接合的磁吸引来维持。(A solenoid is provided. The solenoid includes a housing, a pole piece, an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing, a wire coil disposed within the housing, a permanent magnet disposed between the pole piece and the end plate, an armature configured to selectively move between a first position and a second position in response to a current applied to the wire coil, and a spring configured to bias the armature. The armature is maintained in at least one of a first position and a second position when the wire coil is de-energized. The first position is configured to be maintained by the spring and the second position is configured to be maintained by magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.)

1. A solenoid, comprising:

a housing;

pole pieces;

an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing;

a wire coil disposed within the housing;

a permanent magnet disposed between the pole piece and the end plate;

an armature configured to selectively move between a first position and a second position in response to a current applied to the wire coil; and

a spring biased between the armature and the pole piece, wherein the armature is maintained in at least one of the first position and the second position when the wire coil is de-energized, and wherein the first position is configured to be maintained by the spring and the second position is configured to be maintained by a magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.

2. The solenoid of claim 1, further comprising a pin coupled to the armature.

3. The solenoid of claim 2, wherein the end plate includes a bearing protrusion extending axially from the end plate and including a bearing surface slidably receiving the pin.

4. The solenoid of claim 2, wherein the pole piece comprises a bearing protrusion extending axially from the end plate and comprising a bearing surface slidably receiving the pin.

5. The solenoid according to claim 4 wherein said pole piece includes a thin wall portion, said thin wall portion being dimensioned such that magnetic flux generated by said permanent magnet saturates in said thin wall portion.

6. The solenoid of claim 1 wherein said permanent magnet is axially disposed between said pole piece and said end plate.

7. The solenoid of claim 1 wherein said permanent magnet is axially charged.

8. A solenoid, comprising:

a housing;

pole pieces;

an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing;

a wire coil disposed within the housing;

a permanent magnet disposed between the pole piece and the end plate;

an armature configured to move between a first position and a second position in response to a current applied to the wire coil; and

a spring configured to bias the armature, wherein the armature is maintained in at least one of the first position and the second position when the wire coil is de-energized, and wherein the first position is configured to be maintained by the spring and the second position is configured to be maintained by a magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.

9. The solenoid of claim 8, further comprising a pin coupled to the armature.

10. The solenoid of claim 9, wherein the end plate includes a bearing protrusion extending axially from the end plate and including a bearing surface slidably receiving the pin.

11. The solenoid of claim 9, wherein the pole piece comprises a bearing protrusion extending axially from the end plate and comprising a bearing surface slidably receiving the pin.

12. The solenoid according to claim 11, wherein said pole piece comprises a thin wall portion sized such that magnetic flux generated by said permanent magnet saturates in said thin wall portion.

13. The solenoid according to claim 8, wherein said spring is biased between said armature and said pole piece.

14. The solenoid of claim 13, wherein the pole piece comprises an armature surface and a spring surface, and wherein the armature surface is axially separated from the spring surface and the spring is engaged with the spring surface.

15. The solenoid according to claim 8 wherein said permanent magnet is axially disposed between said pole piece and said end plate, and wherein said permanent magnet is axially magnetized.

16. A solenoid, comprising:

a housing;

pole pieces;

an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing;

a wire coil disposed within the housing;

a permanent magnet disposed axially between the pole piece and the end plate;

an armature configured to move between a first position and a second position in response to a current applied to the wire coil;

a pin coupled to the armature, wherein the pole piece or the endplate includes a bearing surface configured to slidably receive the pin; and

and a spring configured to bias the armature, wherein the armature is maintained in at least one of the first position and the second position when the wire coil is de-energized, and wherein the first position is configured to be maintained by the spring and the second position is configured to be maintained by magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.

17. The solenoid of claim 16, wherein the end plate comprises a bearing protrusion extending axially from the end plate and comprising the bearing surface that slidably receives the pin.

18. The solenoid according to claim 16, wherein said pole piece comprises a bearing protrusion extending axially from said end plate and comprising said bearing surface slidably receiving said pin.

19. The solenoid according to claim 17, wherein said pole piece comprises a thin wall portion sized such that magnetic flux generated by said permanent magnet saturates in said thin wall portion.

20. The solenoid according to claim 16, wherein said spring is biased between said armature and said pole piece.

21. The solenoid of claim 20, wherein the pole piece comprises an armature surface and a spring surface, and wherein the armature surface is axially separated from the spring surface and the spring is engaged with the spring surface.

Background

Solenoids typically include a wire coil that can be selectively energized (i.e., supplied with an electrical current having a particular magnitude and direction) to move an armature between one or more positions.

Disclosure of Invention

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a solenoid including a housing, a pole piece, an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing, a wire coil disposed within the housing, a permanent magnet disposed between the pole piece and the end plate, an armature configured to selectively move between a first position and a second position in response to a current applied to the wire coil, and a spring biased between the armature and the pole piece. The armature is maintained in at least one of the first position and the second position when the wire coil is de-energized. The first position is configured to be maintained by engagement with the spring, and the second position is configured to be maintained by magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a solenoid including a housing, a pole piece, an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing, a wire coil disposed within the housing, a permanent magnet disposed between the pole piece and the end plate, an armature configured to move between a first position and a second position in response to a current applied to the wire coil, and a spring configured to bias the armature. The armature is maintained in at least one of the first position and the second position when the wire coil is de-energized. The first position is configured to be maintained by the spring and the second position is configured to be maintained by magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.

In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a solenoid including a housing, a pole piece, an end plate formed with or coupled to the housing, a wire coil disposed within the housing, a permanent magnet disposed axially between the pole piece and the end plate, an armature configured to move between a first position and a second position in response to an electrical current applied to the wire coil, a pin coupled to the armature, and a spring configured to bias the armature. The pole piece or the end plate includes a bearing surface configured to slidably receive the pin. The armature is maintained in at least one of the first position and the second position when the wire coil is de-energized. The first position is configured to be maintained by the spring and the second position is configured to be maintained by magnetic attraction between the armature and the permanent magnet through engagement between the armature and the pole piece.

The foregoing and other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and which show by way of illustration preferred configurations of the disclosure. Such configurations, however, do not necessarily represent the full scope of the disclosure, and reference is therefore made to the claims and herein for interpreting the scope of the disclosure.

Drawings

The present invention will be better understood and features, aspects and advantages other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such embodiments make reference to the following figures.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a solenoid according to one aspect of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the solenoid of fig. 1 with a pole piece with a pin extending therein.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the solenoid of fig. 2 with an end plate formed with the housing.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the solenoid of fig. 2 with a top wall portion of the housing formed as a separate component.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the solenoid of fig. 2 showing magnetic flux lines.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the solenoid of fig. 2 with a notched portion in the pole piece and the armature in a first position.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the solenoid of fig. 4 with the armature in a second position.

Fig. 8 is a graph illustrating the force on the armature of the solenoid of fig. 7 as a function of current at an extended or second position.

Detailed Description

Before any aspects of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other configurations or of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. In this document, "comprising," "including," or "having" and variations thereof is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," "supported," and "coupled" and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, "connected" and "coupled" are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use aspects of the disclosure. Various modifications to the illustrated configurations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other configurations and applications without departing from aspects of the present disclosure. Thus, the aspects of the present disclosure are not intended to be limited to the configurations shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the drawings, in which like elements in different drawings are numbered similarly. The drawings, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected configurations and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the non-limiting examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of the present disclosure.

The term "axial" and variations thereof, as used herein, refers to a direction generally extending along an axis of symmetry, central axis, or elongation of a particular component or system. For example, the axially extending structure of a component may extend generally in a direction parallel to the axis of symmetry or elongation of the component. Similarly, the term "radial" and variations thereof, as used herein, refers to a direction generally perpendicular to the corresponding axial direction. For example, the radially extending structure of the component may extend generally at least partially in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal or central axis of the component. The term "circumferential" and variations thereof, as used herein, refers to a direction that generally extends around the circumference or periphery of an object, around an axis of symmetry, around a central axis, or around the elongated direction of a particular component or system.

The term "separated" as used herein refers to features that are spaced apart from one another. For example, the axial separation features of the components may be features that are spaced apart from each other along the axial direction. Unless otherwise specified or limited, use of the term "separated" is not intended to require any other particular alignment of features relative to a reference direction. For example, axially separated components may generally be spaced apart from one another relative to the axial direction while being disposed or otherwise aligned along or not disposed or otherwise aligned along a common axially extending reference line. Similarly, for example, radially separated components may generally be spaced apart from one another relative to the radial direction, while being separated from one another relative to the axial direction or not. Similarly, for example, circumferentially separated components may generally be spaced from one another relative to the circumferential direction while being separated from one another or not separated from one another relative to the radial or axial direction.

In general, the present disclosure provides systems and methods for a solenoid having a permanent magnet. The permanent magnet may be axially magnetized (i.e., the north and south poles of the magnet may be aligned with the axial direction or actuation direction defined by the solenoid) and may be arranged between two non-moving parts that participate in the magnetic flux loop generated by the wire coil during actuation of the armature in the solenoid. In some non-limiting examples, the permanent magnet may be disposed adjacent an axial end of the solenoid between the pole piece and an end cap or plate. The arrangement may position the permanent magnet within the solenoid such that the permanent magnet does not axially overlap an axial actuation range defined by a stroke of an armature in the solenoid. This arrangement may provide a cost-effective and efficient use of magnetic material compared to conventional solenoids.

In general, a solenoid may include an armature that is selectively movable between one or more positions. For example, the armature may be movable from a first position to a second position, and may be movable from the second position to the first position. The armature may be held or maintained in the first position by physical engagement with a biasing mechanism (e.g., a spring, linkage, or other mechanical device capable of providing a biasing force on a surface), and the armature may be held or maintained in the second position by magnetic attraction provided by the permanent magnet.

Fig. 1 shows one non-limiting example of a solenoid 100 according to the present disclosure. The solenoid 100 may include a housing 102, a pole piece 104, an end plate or cap 106, an armature 108, and a permanent magnet 109. Typically, the components of the solenoid may be arranged concentrically about the central axis 110.

In the non-limiting example shown, the housing 102 may define a generally cylindrical shape and may be made of a magnetically permeable material (e.g., magnetic steel, iron, nickel, etc.). In other non-limiting examples, the housing 102 may define other shapes as desired. The housing 102 may be formed as a unitary component (i.e., as a single piece of material) and may include an outer wall portion 112, a top wall portion 114, and an inner wall portion 116. The housing 102 may define a first end 118 and a second end 120 disposed axially opposite the first end 118. The outer wall portion 112 may be attached or coupled to the end plate 106 at the first end 118. The outer wall portion 112 may extend axially from the first end 118 to a junction between the outer wall portion 112 and the top wall portion 114 at the second end 120. The top wall portion 114 may extend radially inward (e.g., radially toward the central axis 110) from a junction between the outer wall portion 112 and the top wall portion 114 to a junction between the top wall portion 114 and the inner wall portion 116. The inner wall portion 116 may extend axially from the junction between the top wall portion 114 and the inner wall portion 116 to a tapered end 122. The inner wall portion 116 may extend axially from the second end 120 toward the first end 118. The tapered end 122 of the inner wall portion 116 may define a gradual reduction in radial thickness as it extends axially toward the first end 118.

In some non-limiting examples, portions of the housing 102 may be formed from one or more separate components. For example, in some non-limiting examples, the inner wall portion 116 may be formed by a pole piece or another magnetically permeable component attached or coupled to the housing 102, or another component of the solenoid 100. In some non-limiting examples, the end plate 106 may be formed with the outer shell 102 (e.g., as a unitary component), and the top wall portion 114 may be coupled to the outer shell 102 as an additional end cap, and the inner wall portion 116 may be integrally formed with the top wall portion 114 or coupled to the top wall portion 114.

The pole piece 104 can be at least partially disposed within the housing 102. The pole piece 104 can be made of magnetically permeable material (e.g., magnetic steel, iron, nickel, etc.). In the non-limiting example shown, the pole piece 104 may extend axially from the permanent magnet 109 toward the second end 120 of the housing 102. The pole piece 104 can include a tapered portion 124, an armature groove 126, and a spring groove 128. The tapered portion 124 may be disposed at one axial end of the pole piece 104 and may define a gradually decreasing radial thickness as the tapered portion 124 extends axially toward the second end 120. In the non-limiting example shown, an axial gap is disposed between the tapered end 122 and the tapered portion 124 of the housing 102. The armature groove 126 may extend radially inward from the proximal end of the tapered portion 124 to define an armature surface 130. The spring groove 128 may be axially separated from the armature groove 126 and may extend further radially inward than the armature groove 126 to define a spring surface 131.

End plate 106 may be attached or coupled to first end 118 of housing 102. For example, the first end 118 of the shell 102 may be adhesively attached, crimped, welded, or press-fit onto the end plate 106. In any case, the end plate 106 may enclose the normally open first end 118 of the housing 102. The end plate 106 may be made of magnetically permeable material (e.g., magnetic steel, iron, nickel, etc.). In the non-limiting example shown, the end plate 106 may define a generally annular shape that includes a bearing protrusion 132 extending axially from a central portion of the end plate 106. The bearing protrusion 132 extends axially away from the permanent magnet 109 and includes a bearing surface 134.

Generally, the armature 108 can be at least partially disposed within the housing 102 and can be movable from a first position to a second position, and can be movable from the second position to the first position. The armature 108 can be made of a magnetically permeable material (e.g., magnetic steel, iron, nickel, etc.). In the non-limiting example shown, the solenoid 100 may include an armature tube 136 within which armature tube 136 movably receives the armature 108. The armature tube 136 may be a thin-walled tube made of a non-magnetically conductive material (e.g., non-magnetically conductive stainless steel). The armature 108 may include a pin 138, the pin 138 extending axially through at least a portion of the armature 108 and protruding axially from the armature 108. In the non-limiting example shown, the pin 138 may protrude axially from the armature 108 and be slidably received by the bearing surface 134 of the endplate 106 or engage with the bearing surface 134 of the endplate 106. The pin 138 may further protrude axially from the bearing protrusion 132 of the end plate 106, which allows the pin 138 to provide a force or displacement to an external component.

In the non-limiting example shown, the permanent magnets 109 may be axially disposed between the pole piece 104 and the end plate 106. The permanent magnet 109 may define an annular shape and may be axially magnetized (i.e., the north and south poles of the permanent magnet 109 are aligned with the central axis 110 or parallel to the central axis 110).

With continued reference to fig. 1, the solenoid 100 may further include a wire coil 140 disposed within the housing 102. The wire coil 140 may be wound around a bobbin 142. The bobbin 142 may be made of a non-magnetically permeable material (e.g., plastic) and may be disposed within the housing 102 such that the wire coil 140 is wound around at least a portion of the armature 108. For example, the wire coil 140 may be made of a copper coil configured to generate a magnetic field, thereby applying a force to the armature 108 in response to the wire coil 140 being energized (i.e., a current being applied to the wire coil 140). The magnitude and direction or polarity of the magnetic field, as well as the force applied to the armature 108, may be controlled by the magnitude and direction of the current applied to the wire coil 140. In some non-limiting examples, the wire coil 140 may be in electrical communication with a controller (not shown) via electrical contacts (not shown) on the solenoid 100. The controller may be configured to selectively apply current to the wire coil 140 at a particular magnitude and direction.

Generally, the solenoid 100 may further include a biasing mechanism that engages the armature 108 to maintain or retain the armature 108 in one of the first and second positions. In the non-limiting example shown, the solenoid 100 can include a spring 144, the spring 144 being biased between the armature 108 and the pole piece 104. Specifically, the spring 144 can be biased between the first surface 146 of the armature 108 and the spring surface 131 of the pole piece 104 and into engagement with the first surface 146 of the armature 108 and the spring surface 131 of the pole piece 104. The spring 144 may be configured to apply an axial force to the armature 108 such that the armature 108 is biased toward the first position (e.g., biased axially upward from the perspective of fig. 1).

In some non-limiting examples, the pole piece 104 may provide a bearing surface for the pin 138. For example, fig. 2 shows another non-limiting example of a solenoid 100 in which the end plate 106 does not include a bearing protrusion 132 and a bearing surface 134. Instead, the bearing protrusions 132 and bearing surface 134 are formed as part of the pole piece 104. In this non-limiting example, the pole piece 104 includes a thin wall portion 150 that extends axially beyond the permanent magnet 109. As described herein, the housing 102 and the endplate 104 may be designed to be formed together or as separate components coupled together. Fig. 3 shows one non-limiting example of a solenoid 100 in which the end plate 106 is formed with the outer housing 102 and the inner wall portion 116 may be integrally formed with the top wall portion 114 and coupled to the second end 120 of the outer housing 102. Alternatively, fig. 4 shows a non-limiting example in which the outer wall portion 112 of the housing 102 is formed separately from the combination of the inner wall portion 116, the top wall portion 114, and the end plate 106.

Referring to fig. 5, in operation, the permanent magnet 109 and/or the wire coil 140 may generate a magnetic flux path or loop 152, the magnetic flux path or loop 152 providing a force to the armature 108. Generally, the permanent magnets 109 can generate magnetic flux paths 152 that circulate around and through the housing 102, pole piece 104, and end plate 106. The magnetic field generated by the wire coil 140 may supplement or interrupt the magnetic flux path 152 generated by the permanent magnet 109 to affect the motion of the armature 108, depending on the polarity of the current supplied to the wire coil 140 and the polarity of the resulting magnetic field. It should be understood that the magnetic flux path 152 shown in fig. 5 is applicable to all solenoid designs shown herein (i.e., fig. 1-4, 6, and 7). In configurations where the pole piece 104 includes a thin wall portion 150 that extends beyond the permanent magnet 109, the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnet 109 may pass through the end plate 106 and the pole piece 104 to cause an undesirable short circuit. This undesirable short is illustrated by short-circuit magnetic return path 154 in fig. 5. The short circuit magnetic flux loop 154 is shown for illustrative purposes only, and as described herein, the solenoid 100 is designed to prevent or eliminate short circuits of magnetic flux from the permanent magnet 109. It should be understood that the magnetic flux paths 152 and short circuit magnetic flux loops 154 on opposite sides of the solenoid 100 in fig. 5 are shown for illustrative purposes only. In operation, this will occur circumferentially around the solenoid 100 (i.e., on both sides of the central axis 110 in fig. 5).

Short circuit flux loops 154 can be prevented or eliminated by dimensioning (dimension) the thin wall portion 150 of the pole piece 104 as thin radially as possible within manufacturing tolerances. By dimensioning the thin-walled portion 150 to be radially thin in cross-section (i.e., the region through which magnetic flux may travel), the magnetic flux generated by the permanent magnet 109 flowing through the thin-walled portion 150 may be intentionally saturated, such that generation of a short-circuit magnetic flux return path 154 may be prevented or eliminated.

In some non-limiting examples, thin-walled portion 150 may include various geometric features that help reduce the radial cross-section that facilitates the possible flow of magnetic flux for this segment of the path. For example, fig. 6 and 7 illustrate a non-limiting example of a solenoid 100 in which the thin-walled portion 150 includes a notch 156 that defines a radial groove in the thin-walled portion 150. The notches 156 geometrically ensure saturation of the magnetic flux traveling through the thin-walled portion 150, which prevents or eliminates shorting the magnetic flux return path 154.

Regardless of the geometry of the pole piece 104 and the end plate 106, the solenoid 100 may be configured to selectively move the armature 108 between a first or retracted position and a second or extended position, thereby selectively moving the pin 138 between the first or retracted position and the second or extended position, and vice versa. The general operation of the solenoid 100 will be described with reference to fig. 4 and 5. The following description of the operation of solenoid 100 also applies to the solenoid design shown in fig. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6 shows the armature 108 in a first position, in which the pin 138 is in a retracted position. When the wire coil 140 is de-energized (i.e., no current is supplied to the wire coil 140), the armature 108 may be maintained or held in the first position by engagement between the spring 144 and the armature 108. The spring 144 may provide a force (e.g., in an upward direction from the perspective of fig. 6) to the armature 108 that maintains the armature 108 in the first position. For example, the force of the spring 144 can be greater than the magnetic attraction between the armature 108 and the pole piece 104 provided by the magnetic flux path 152 generated by the permanent magnet 109. When it is desired to transition the armature 108 from the first position to the second position, current may be applied to the wire coil 140 in a first polarity. The current having the first polarity applied to the wire coil 140 may supplement or augment the magnetic flux path 152 generated by the permanent magnet 109, the magnetic flux path 152 providing an electromagnetic force to the armature 108 in a direction opposite the force of the spring 144. In some non-limiting examples, the first polarity may be aligned with or the same as the polarity defined by the permanent magnet 109. The additional electromagnetic force on the armature 108 provided by the wire coil 140 (e.g., in a downward direction from the perspective of fig. 6) may overcome the force of the spring 144, and the armature 108 may move from the first position to the second position shown in fig. 7.

As shown in fig. 7, the first surface 146 of the armature 108 can engage the armature surface 130 of the pole piece 104 when the armature 108 is in the second position. Movement of the armature 108 from the first position to the second position may axially extend the pin 138. When the wire coil 140 is de-energized (i.e., no current is supplied to the wire coil 140), the armature 108 may be maintained or held in the second position by magnetic attraction between the armature 108 and the permanent magnet 109 through the engagement between the armature 108 and the pole piece 104. The axial arrangement of the permanent magnet 109 between the end plate 106 and the pole piece 104 places the permanent magnet 109 out of direct contact with the moving element of the solenoid 100 (i.e., the armature 108). From a magnetic point of view, this arrangement is effective because the stroke of the armature 108 does not axially overlap with the permanent magnet 109. That is, the permanent magnet 109 is axially separated from the axial stroke traversed by the armature 108 as the armature 108 moves between the first and second positions.

When it is desired to transition the armature 108 from the second position to the first position, current may be applied to the wire coil 140 in a second polarity opposite the first polarity. The current having the second polarity applied to the wire coil 140 can interrupt the magnetic flux path 152 generated by the permanent magnet 109, which can reduce the force on the armature 108 in the direction that holds the armature 108 in engagement with the pole piece 104 (e.g., downward from the perspective of fig. 7). Interruption of the magnetic field of the permanent magnet 109 by the magnetic field generated by the wire coil 140 may reduce the force on the armature 108 by a sufficient amount to allow the spring 144 to move the armature 108 to the first position (fig. 6), which moves the pin 138 from the extended position to the retracted position.

As shown in fig. 8, in the second or extended position (fig. 7), the magnetic design of the solenoid 100 may provide a predefined current magnitude having a second polarity at which the magnetic flux path 152 generated by the permanent magnet 109 is cancelled and the magnetic force applied to the armature 108 is zero, allowing the spring 144 to move the armature 108 back to the first position. When the wire coil 140 is de-energized, the magnetic flux path 152 may generate a force on the armature 108 due to the engagement between the armature 108 and the pole piece 109 (0A holding force in fig. 8) that acts to maintain the armature 108 in the second position (e.g., in a downward direction from the perspective of fig. 7). The magnitude of the holding force may be greater than the force provided by the spring 144 against the armature 108, which maintains the armature 108 in the second position when the wire coil 140 is de-energized.

In some non-limiting examples, when the armature 108 moves from the second position to the first position, the wire coil 140 may be supplied with a current having a second polarity, the magnitude of the current being equal to the predefined current magnitude, or within a predefined tolerance of the predefined current magnitude. By supplying current to the wire coil 140 at a magnitude equal to or within a predefined tolerance of the predefined current magnitude, the holding force on the armature 108 (e.g., the force pushing the armature 108 downward into the pole piece 104) can be sufficiently reduced to allow the spring 144 to move the armature 108 to the first position. If the magnitude of the current is not within the predefined current magnitude, or within a predefined tolerance of the predefined current magnitude, the holding force on the armature 108 may increase and prevent the armature 108 from moving to the first position.

In general, the design of the solenoid 100 may provide a simplified design from a manufacturing and magnetic perspective as compared to conventional solenoid designs. For example, the design of the solenoid may eliminate the need to use two or more wire coils or coil carriers for moving the armature between two or more positions.

Within this specification, embodiments of the specification have been described in a manner that enables a clear and concise specification to be written, but it is intended and will be understood that the embodiments may be combined or separated in different ways without departing from the invention. For example, it should be understood that all of the preferred features described herein are applicable to all aspects of the invention described herein.

Thus, while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited, and many other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications, and departures from the described embodiments, examples, and uses are intended to be covered by the appended claims. The entire disclosure of each patent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference as if each such patent or publication were individually incorporated by reference.

Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.