Actuators for rotating an optical-path-folding-element with two, first and second, degrees of freedom in an extended rotation range around two respective rotation axes, folded cameras including such actuators and dual-cameras including a folded camera as above together with an upright camera.

A pot magnet (20) for a moving coil (10) of an electronic balance operating using the electromagnetic compensation principle includes: —a pot base (24) and a pot wall (22) rising vertically from the pot base, and —a permanent magnet structure (26) disposed within the pot wall and having an annular gap thereto, which structure has a permanent magnet body (261) arranged on the pot base side and a pole plate (262) connected to the surface thereof facing away from the pot base side. The pole plate is fixed by a rigid mechanical connection independent of the permanent magnet body to the pot base at a predetermined distance therefrom and the permanent magnet body is bonded to the pole plate on a surface facing the pot base without contacting the pot base.

The disclosure describes a magnetic circuit assembly that includes a magnet assembly and an excitation ring. The magnet assembly defines an input axis and includes a pole piece and a magnet underlying the pole piece. The excitation ring includes a base and an outer ring positioned around the magnet assembly. The base includes a platform layer underlying the magnet and a base layer underlying the platform layer. The outer ring overlies the base layer. An inner portion of the outer ring faces the magnet assembly and an outer portion of the outer ring is configured to couple to an outer radial portion of a proof mass assembly. The pole piece and the platform layer include a high magnetic permeability material.

An apparatus may include a rotatable permanent magnet exhibiting a magnetic field. Alternatively, the actuation apparatus may include a set of coils configured to generate a rotatable magnetic field. The apparatus may further include a magnetic shape memory (MSM) element including MSM material and having a long axis, where the MSM element is configured to contract locally in a first part in response to local exposure to a first component of the magnetic field that is substantially perpendicular to the long axis and to not contract locally in a second part that is exposed to a second component of the magnetic field that is not substantially perpendicular to the long axis. The apparatus may include a first fixed magnet positioned at a first end of the MSM element and a second fixed magnet positioned at a second end of the MSM element.

A drive device capable of reducing a possibility that magnets or contact members are broken by repulsive forces generated between magnets arranged in the Halbach array. The drive device includes magnet units each including a plurality of permanent magnets arranged in the Halbach array and a holding member that holds the permanent magnets, a fixed portion, a movable portion that is movable with respect to the fixed portion, and coils. The magnet units are supported by one of the fixed portion and the movable portion. The coils are supported by the other of the fixed portion and the movable portion in a manner opposed to the magnet units, respectively. The holding member has elastic shape portions in contact with the permanent magnets on surfaces thereof opposed to the permanent magnets in a magnet arrangement direction of the permanent magnets arranged in the Halbach array.

An apparatus is provided which includes a cavity and a ferromagnet assembly having a first centroidal axis. The ferromagnet romagnet assembly is configured to be contained within the cavity. The ferromagnet assembly includes a first portion including at least one non-ferromagnetic material. The ferromagnet assembly further includes a second portion including at least one ferromagnetic material. The second portion has a second centroidal axis that is offset from the first centroidal axis.

A valve includes an electrodynamic actuator which has a magnet arrangement for generating a magnetic field and a control element movable relative to the magnet arrangement. The control element includes an energizable coil which is arranged in the magnetic field and is firmly coupled to a coil carrier. The control element is movable between at least two defined positions. There are provided permanent-magnetically interacting holding force which retain the control element in at least one of the defined positions, even when the coil is currentless.

A movable embedded microstructure includes a substrate, a diaphragm, a circuit board, a permanent magnetic element, and a multi-layered coil. The substrate has a hollow chamber. The diaphragm is disposed on the substrate, and covers the hollow chamber. The circuit board is bonded to the substrate. The permanent magnetic element is disposed on the circuit board and in the hollow chamber. The multi-layered coil is embedded in the diaphragm.

A positioning system, including: a first plate; a second plate coupled to the first plate and pivotable about an axis; a pair of voice coil actuators configured to rotate the second plate about this axis; and a processor configured to drive currents to the pair of voice coil actuators; wherein the pair of voice coil actuators comprises a first and second magnet structures mounted on the first plate at equal and opposite distance from the axis, and a first and second coils mounted on the second plate and positioned such that the respective first and second magnet structures move in and out of the first and second coils when the second plate rotates about the axis; wherein each of the first and second magnet structures substantially conforms to an arc having a center at the axis and a radius equal to the distance of the magnet structure from the axis.

Actuators for rotating an optical-path-folding-element with two, first and second, degrees of freedom in an extended rotation range around two respective rotation axes, folded cameras including such actuators and dual-cameras including a folded camera as above together with an upright camera.