An actuator is proposed. A housing and a housing cap may constitute the exterior of the actuator, and a driving pin may be installed in an inner space of the housing such that the driving pin is moved by being guided by a guide. A cylindrical bobbin having one open end portion may be installed at the driving pin to be moved integrally therewith, and a coil may be installed at the bobbin. A permanent magnet and an iron core may be stacked in the inner space by the guide. A pin iron core may be provided at the driving pin, and a pin coil may be installed in a groove of the pin iron core.

There is a solenoid including a stator having a first stator tooth and a second stator tooth, and an armature having a first armature tooth and a second armature tooth. The armature is moveable with respect to the stator over a predetermined stroke. A coil is associated with one of the stator and the armature for conducting an electric current and generating magnetic flux that is guided by the stator and the armature. The stator or the armature acts as a ferromagnetic core for the coil. There is a first air-gap between the first stator tooth and the first armature tooth that has a first length, and a second air-gap between the second stator tooth and the second armature tooth that has a second length. The first and second lengths are constant to within a predetermined margin over the predetermined stroke when the first and second armature teeth overlap the first and second stator teeth respectively.

A planar actuator device, including a base plate including a first, second, and third pair of planar coils, each pair of planar coils having an inner coil and an outer coil, each pair of planar coils arranged along a first, second, and third linear motion axis, respectively, the first, second, and third linear motion axis arranged in a star configuration, and an actuation mechanism including a first, second, and third planar legs and a centerpiece, the first, second and third planar legs pivotably connected to the centerpiece, the planar legs including a first, second, and third sliding element and a first, second, and third middle section, respectively, a sliding element and middle section of a respective leg pivotably connected to each other, each sliding element including a permanent magnet.

Coil-based actuators for use in opening and closing the separable contacts of circuit interrupters provide increased initial velocity for opening strokes and improved damping at the end of opening strokes by utilizing current-based damping and omitting contact springs and contact dampeners.

A bistable electromagnetic actuator is described. The actuator includes a mobile assembly and a fixed assembly. The mobile assembly includes at least one pair of ferromagnetic plunger-cores, a frame integrally connecting the plunger-cores, and a guiding element. The fixed assembly includes a ferromagnetic core having cavities defined on each of its two sides configured to receive a corresponding one of the plunger-cores, at least one magnet positioned between the cavities in the core and being able to create a first magnetic flux, at least one coil operable via an excitation current to create a second magnetic flux, and a guiding element adapted to cooperate with the guiding element of the mobile assembly to allow the mobile assembly to move between a first and a second stable position. Methods for actuating the bistable electromagnetic actuator are also described.

A vapor delivery needle is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the energy delivery probe is that it can apply condensable vapor energy to tissue, such as a prostrate, to shrink, damage, denaturate the prostate. In some embodiments, the vapor delivery needle can be advanced a predetermined distance into the prostate with a solenoid actuation mechanism. Methods associated with use of the energy delivery probe are also covered.

A proportional solenoid (100) of the present invention includes a tubular member (101) in which a first magnetic region (12a) mainly including a ferrite structure, a first semimagnetic region (14a) present at a position spaced apart from an adsorptive surface (11b), the first semimagnetic region including a ferrite structure, a martensite structure, and an austenite structure, and a nonmagnetic region (13) present at a position spaced farther apart from the adsorptive surface than the semimagnetic region, the nonmagnetic region mainly including an austenite structure, are formed continuously and integrally.

An actuator for controlling the movement of an element between two stable positions with pulsed electrical control without a change in polarity comprises: a ferromagnetic mobile mass, at least one electrically controlled wire coil that is fixed with respect to the mobile mass, at least two ferromagnetic poles that are fixed with respect to the mobile mass and on either side of the mobile mass. The actuator comprises at least one permanent magnet that attracts the mobile mass in order to achieve the two stable positions. The mobile mass defines, with the ferromagnetic poles, at least two variable air gaps during the movement of the mobile apparatus. The magnetic flux of the permanent magnet opposes the magnetic flux generated by the at least one coil regardless of the position of the mobile mass.

Automatic electric actuation of the pump of a liquid dispenser apparatus is provided by a stepper motor having a threaded hollow liquid-conducting tube positioned therein and configured such that motor drives the hollow tube up and down in response to supply of a plurality of electrical pulses thereto. A lower end of the hollow tube is constructed to inter-fit with a stem of the pump such that driving the hollow tube up and down creates a pumping action.

Air-core reactors for use with power transmission systems are disclosed. An example air-core reactor may include a main coil and an auxiliary coil. The main coil may include a first solenoid having a first diameter and a second solenoid having a second diameter, wherein the first diameter and the second diameter are different. The auxiliary coil may include a third solenoid. The first solenoid and the second solenoid may be arranged concentrically. The auxiliary coil may also be magnetically coupled to the main coil, and the auxiliary coil may be arranged concentric to the main coil.