A permanent magnet actuation mechanism may include a first permanent magnet magnetized along a first axis and rotatable about a first rotational axis perpendicular to the first axis, a second permanent magnet magnetized along a second axis and rotatable about a second rotational axis perpendicular to the second axis. The first rotational axis is parallel with the second rotational axis. The mechanism further comprises a mounting structure configured to position the first permanent magnet at a first distance from the second permanent magnet along a main axis perpendicular to the first rotational axis and the second rotational axis.

A system and method for perturbing a permanent magnet asymmetric field to move a body includes a rotating body configured to rotate about a rotation axis, a permanent magnet arrangement arranged on the rotating body containing two or more permanent magnets, and a perturbation element. The permanent magnet arrangement is configured such that an asymmetric magnetic field is generated by the permanent magnets about a perturbation point. Actuation of the perturbation element at or near the perturbation point causes a tangential magnetic force on the rotating body and/or the permanent magnet arrangement, thereby causing the rotating body to rotate about the rotation axis. The disclosure may also be used for linear motion of a body.

A personal care product system having a stand and a handle is provided. The handle can be docked with the stand when not in use. The position of the handle relative to the stand is maintained by a docking magnet in the handle and a docking magnet in the stand. The stand includes a base having a stand resting plane and an opposing top surface. The handle extends upward from the opposing top surface of the stand and is tilted with respect to a vertical axis with a majority of the handle being unsupported. A handle resting plane intersects the stand resting plane at an included angle of less than 90 degrees, and an axis of polarity of the docking magnet in the handle intersects the handle resting plane at an included angle between 15 and 35 degrees to facilitate the tilted position of the handle.

A magnetic field generator including: a yoke; and a plurality of main magnetic pole magnets and a plurality of secondary magnetic pole magnets, the main magnetic pole magnets and the secondary magnetic pole magnets comprising a rare earth sintered magnet, having magnetic pole orientations different from each other by substantially 90°, and being alternately arranged in a linear Halbach magnet array without gaps and fixed to the yoke, wherein near contact surfaces of the main magnetic pole magnets and the secondary magnetic pole magnets, a grain boundary diffusion layer is formed in which at least one of Dy or Tb being heavy rare earth elements or a compound of at least one of the Dy or the Tb is diffused into internal grain boundaries from the contact surfaces.

The invention relates to a magnetic coupling element (100) with a magnetic bearing function. The magnetic coupling element (100) has a drive-side coupling magnet (109) arranged on a drive shaft (106), and also an output-side coupling magnet (115) arranged on an output shaft (112), the output-side coupling magnet (115) being magnetically coupled to the drive-side coupling magnet (109), and finally a bearing magnet ring (118) which is non-rotatably mounted with respect to the drive-side or output-side coupling magnet (109) or (115), a bearing magnet portion (133, 136) of the bearing magnet ring (118) having the same polarity as a coupling magnet portion (127, 130) opposite the bearing magnet portion (136).

Magnetic coupling devices are disclosed which may be configured in at least three states. The various states may be provided through one or more of altering a position of a permanent magnet relative to another permanent magnet and altering a current level in a coil surrounding a permanent magnet.

A personal care product system having a personal care product stand and a handle is provided. The handle can be docked with the personal care product stand when not in use. The position of the handle relative to the personal care product stand is maintained by a docking magnet in the handle and a docking magnet in the personal care product stand. The handle is tilted with respect to a vertical axis and a majority of the handle is unsupported.

A magnetic switch can be configured to have or provide a variable, user-selectable radial flux pattern. In an example, the switch comprises a magnetized outer structure and a magnetized inner structure provided at least partially inside of the magnetized outer structure. In an example, at least one of the magnetized inner and outer structures is rotatable relative to the other one of the magnetized inner and outer structures about an axis of rotation that is common to the magnetized outer structure and magnetized inner structure. The radial flux pattern can extend away from the common axis of rotation and can vary in strength according to a relative position of the magnetized inner and outer structures. In other examples, the switch can comprise multiple layers of magnetized structures.

A system for connecting and monitoring a magnetic operator interface assembly. The assembly can provide protection of an operator interface by limiting glare, UV damage, and exposure to rain. It can also protect the operator interface from high pressure cleaning equipment. The assembly is removably magnetically mountable to a sealed enclosure without breaching the enclosure's seal. The magnetic operator interface assembly can withstand operational forces, staying at a magnetically fixed position and without becoming accidentally detached. It is also easy to intentionally install and remove. The system may include sensors that can inform a local or remote dashboard about the status of the magnetic operator interface assembly, such as whether it is installed and whether the cover is open or closed. The system may also include a locking system to prevent tampering and limit access to the operator interface.

A programmable permanent magnet actuator, a magnetic field generation apparatus and a method of controlling thereof. The actuator has a first body that is a ferromagnetic material, a second body that is a single magnetized ferromagnet and a magnetic field generation device associable to the second body to generate a magnetic field in proximity with the second body. The actuator also has a controller adapted to control the magnetic field generation device to generate a controlled magnetic field. The controlled magnetic field is adapted to modify a magnetization of the second body such as to produce with the second body a required magnetic field to move one of the first or the second body with respect to one another according to a desired position or a desired torque. The desired position or the desired torque is maintained even after the application of the controlled magnetic field. The apparatus has a permanent magnet that has an intrinsic coercivity (Hci) value that is greater than 200 kA/m and a remanence (Br) value that is greater than 0.4 Tesla. The apparatus also has a magnetic field generation device associated to the permanent magnet and a controller connected to the magnetic field generation device. The controller is adapted to control the magnetic field generation device to produce a controlled magnetic field to variably modify a magnetization of the permanent magnet in order to produce a desired variable magnetic field and influence the electrically charged or magnetized material when placed in the desired variable magnetic field.