A method of operating an electro-permanent magnet may include switching the electro-permanent magnet from an on state wherein magnetic fields of switching and permanent magnets combine to generate a first magnetic field having a first magnitude and a first polarity to a reversed state having a second polarity wherein magnetic fields of the switching magnets and the permanent magnets combine to generate a second magnetic field having a second magnitude less than the first magnitude and a second polarity different than the first polarity. The electro-permanent magnet may be switched from the reversed state to an off state wherein magnetic fields of the switching and permanent magnets combine to generate a third magnetic field having a magnitude that is no more than 50 percent of the second magnitude. Related electro-permanent magnets are also discussed.

Devices configured to direct heat flow are disclosed, as well as methods of forming thereof. A device may include a self-assembling heat flow object. The self-assembling heat flow object may include a material having one or more self-assembling properties that cause the material to react to an environmental stimulus and one or more thermal pathways. An application of the environmental stimulus causes the self-assembling heat flow object to deploy and arrange the one or more thermal pathways for directing thermal energy to one or more locations.

An electrically operated fluid flow valve arrangement (50) includes an electrically powered magnetic field generator (42), a valve body (44) defining a valve chamber (7), an inlet port (5), an outlet port (20)and a valve member (18)located in the chamber (7). The valve member(18) is movable between closed and open conditions relative to one of the ports (5, 20). The valve member (18) includes a permanent magnet (9). The arrangement (50) includes a switchable pole 46 formed of a ferromagnetic material. In use, in a first latched condition, the valve member (18) is retained by the switchable pole (46) in one of the closed or open conditions and,in a second latched condition, in the other of the closed or open conditions, the valve member (18) being moved from one latched condition to the other by operation of the generator (42).

The invention describes a device suspension arrangement comprising a ceiling region, at least one mobile device comprising a ceiling interface with at least one freely rotatable element arranged to partially protrude from the ceiling interface to facilitate movement of the suspended device to an arbitrary ceiling position; and at least one magnetic field generator realised to generate a magnetic field between the ceiling region and the ceiling interface of a mobile device. The invention further describes a mobile device for use in such a device suspension arrangement.

A magnetic device comprising at least one stator (1) and one translator (2), which translator (2) is movable along a translator movement path (3) in a translator movement direction (4) relative to the Stator (1), the translator (2) being coupled, at least in portions of the translator movement path (3), to an acceleration unit (5), which on coupling the translator (2) with the acceleration unit (5) generates an acceleration force state comprising at least a corrective force F.sub.corr acting on the translator (2),
which acceleration force state can cause a movement of the translator (2) away from the stator (1), wherein
when the translator (2) is coupled to the acceleration unit (5) and the translator (2) moves away from the stator (1), the sum total of the forces acting on the translator (2) in the translator movement direction (4) due to magnetism is greater than or equal to zero,
so that the translator (2) can be separated from the attractive force generated by the stator (1) by means of the corrective force F.sub.corr.

A transport device and a transport method efficiently increase a thrust to suppress power consumption. The transport device has a first magnetic body on a side of a to-be-transported object, a magnetic circuit with a core consisting of a second magnetic body, and a winding wound around an outside of the core, and a drive circuit supplying a current to the winding of the magnetic circuit. The magnetic circuit has first and second magnetic circuits, and in a case where the first magnetic body is located on a side of the second magnetic circuit relative to a first predetermined position between the first magnetic circuit and the second magnetic circuit, the drive circuit supplies a current to a winding of the first magnetic circuit in such a manner to cause an electromagnetic repulsive force to be generated between the first magnetic body and the first magnetic circuit.

This disclosure details tie-down systems for securing cargo within vehicle cargo spaces. An exemplary tie-down system may include a vehicle-mounted magnetic assembly and a tie-down that may be magnetically connected to the magnetic assembly for securing cargo within the cargo space. A magnet of the magnetic assembly may be energized to hold the tie-down and cargo in place within the cargo space or de-energized to release the tie-down and the cargo relative to the cargo space.

An electromagnet for a thermography system comprising a first elongated magnetic core spaced apart from a second elongated magnetic core; at least a first shorting bar connecting substantially at a first end of the first elongated magnetic core and a first end of the second elongated magnetic core; and at least a first excitation coil configured to conduct electrical current.

An unmanned aerial vehicle including a body and a docking mechanism coupled to the body is provided. The docking mechanism secures a magnetic crawler to the body during flight and during landing on a ferromagnetic cylindrical surface. The docking mechanism includes a docking hook that couples to the magnetic crawler and a linear actuator coupling the docking hook to the body. The docking hook includes passive latches that passively release the magnetic crawler from the docking hook onto the cylindrical surface after the landing, receive the magnetic crawler into the docking hook from the cylindrical surface after the releasing, and secure the magnetic crawler to the body during takeoff from the cylindrical surface after the receiving. The linear actuator lowers the docking hook and coupled magnetic crawler from the body to the cylindrical surface, and raises the docking hook and received magnetic crawler from the cylindrical surface to the body.

An electric permanent magnet chuck, comprising a casing (1), the casing being provided thereon with at least one open inner cavity; reversible magnetic material (2) is provided at a lower portion of the inner cavity, and a coil (3) is arranged in the inner cavity along an outer wall of the reversible magnetic material; a magnetic pole (4) is superposed and fixed in the inner cavity, an annular groove being provided at a lower surface of the magnetic pole, and permanent magnetic material (5) that matches the annular groove being disposed in the annular groove. The electric permanent magnet chuck has the advantages of a simple structure, low processing difficulty, good sealing performance, small magnetic loss and so on.