One or more embodiments describe a magnetic actuator including at least two magnets. One magnet is a semi hard magnet and the other magnet is a hard magnet. The hard magnet is configured to open or close the magnetic actuator. The semi hard magnet and the hard magnet are placed adjacent to each other. A change in magnetization polarization of the semi hard magnet is configured to push or pull the hard magnet) to open or close a digital lock realised with the magnetic actuator. The magnetic actuator can also be used to realise a valve.

The present invention relates to a locking device of a household appliance door comprising a circuit having a first, a second and a third connecting contacts to the household appliance, the device comprising a door locking switch, a door dosing switch and an actuator arranged electrically in series with said door closing switch, at least one diode and at least one control switch on said third contact and electrically in series with said actuator. By virtue of this configuration, the locking and the unlocking of the door may be controlled by specific, different predetermined electrical pulses.

An electromagnetically actuated, bistable locking device is disclosed. The locking device has a lock pin that is moveable substantially along a longitudinal axis between an extended position and a retracted position, at least one permanent magnet with two pole ends, at least one electromagnet having first and second ends and electromagnetically actuated in one of the extended and retracted positions of the lock pin, a mechanical interconnection between the pin lock and the at least one permanent magnet for moving said pin lock between the extended and the retracted positions of the lock pin at the actuation of the electromagnet. The inventive idea lies in that if the permanent magnet abuts by one of its faces on the end of the magnetic core of the electromagnetic solenoid, then this configuration allows the exploitation of the magnetic forces at a maximum efficiency in both the energized state and the de-energized state.

An arrangement (10, 82) for locking and unlocking a lock device (58, 74), the arrangement (10, 82) comprising a transfer element (12) movable between a protruded position (42) and a retracted position (56); a core member (14) of soft magnetic material, the core member (14) comprising a coil section (20); an electric coil (16) wound around the coil section (20); and a blocking member (48) comprising a magnet (18), the blocking member (48) being movable between a blocking position (50), in which the magnet (18) establishes a magnetic circuit through the coil section (20) and the blocking member (48) blocks movement of the transfer element (12) to the retracted position (56), and an unblocking position (54), in which the magnet (18) establishes a magnetic circuit through the coil section (20) and the blocking member (48) unblocks movement of the transfer element (12) to the retracted position (56). A lock device (58, 74) comprising an arrangement (10, 82), and a method of controlling a lock device (58, 74), are also provided.