METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A SOLENOID-ARMATURE RAM COMPOSITE AND A SOLENOID-ARMATURE RAM COMPOSITE FOR A LINEAR ACTUATOR

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a solenoid-armature ram composite and a corresponding solenoid-armature ram composite for a linear actuator which has a stator with a coil that can be fed with electrical current for producing an electromagnetic field and a single-part or multi-part solenoid armature movable along a longitudinal axis of the coil and a ram connected with the solenoid armature, provides that the solenoid armature surrounds the ram in a ring shape and a gap between the ram and the solenoid armature is cast with a casting material.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a solenoid-armature ram composite for a linear actuator having a stator with a coil that can be fed with electrical current for producing an electromagnetic field, a single-part or multi-part solenoid armature movable along a longitudinal axis of the coil and a ram connected with the solenoid armature, wherein the solenoid armature surrounds the ram in a ring shape, comprising: arranging the solenoid armature and the ram in an assembly mold, so that a radial gap remains between the solenoid armature and the ram, wherein at least one inner diameter of the assembly mold and at least one outer diameter of the solenoid armature are executed in mutually accurately fitting manner; casting the gap with a casting material, so that the casting material establishes a connection between the solenoid armature and the ram; and removing the solenoid-armature ram composite from the assembly mold.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solenoid armature comprises at least one first and one second permanent magnet ring between which at least one intermediate ring is arranged, and at least one first and one second pole disk, wherein respectively one of the first and second pole disks adjoins one of the two permanent magnet rings on the outer side in the axial direction.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the first pole disk has a smaller inner diameter than the second pole disk and is connected with the ram such that it serves as the bottom for the casting material in the step of casting.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the permanent magnet rings have a smaller outer diameter than the pole disks and/or the intermediate ring.

5. A method for manufacturing a linear actuator with a solenoid-armature ram composite that can be manufactured in accordance with claim 1, comprising: attaching plate springs to the solenoid-armature ram composite; and inserting the solenoid-armature ram composite equipped with the plate springs in a stator, so that the solenoid-armature ram composite is movably mounted on the stator by means of the plate springs.

6. A solenoid-armature ram composite for a linear actuator comprising: a stator with a coil that can be fed with electrical current for producing an electromagnetic field and a single-part or multi-part solenoid armature movable along a longitudinal axis of the coil and a ram connected with the solenoid armature, wherein the solenoid armature surrounds the ram in a ring shape, wherein between the ram and the solenoid armature a casting material is arranged which connects the solenoid armature with the ram.

7. The solenoid-armature ram composite according to claim 6, wherein the solenoid armature comprises at least one first and one second permanent magnet ring between which at least one intermediate ring is arranged, and at least one first and one second pole disk, wherein respectively one of the first and second pole disks adjoins one of the two permanent magnet rings on the outer side in the axial direction.

8. The solenoid-armature ram composite according to claim 7, wherein the first pole disk has a smaller inner diameter than the second pole disk, with which inner diameter it adjoins the ram.

9. The solenoid-armature ram composite according to claim 7, wherein the permanent magnet rings have a smaller outer diameter than the pole disks and/or the intermediate ring.

10. The solenoid-armature ram composite according to claim 7, wherein the pole disks and/or the intermediate ring comprise at least one material of the group of magnetically soft materials.

11. A linear actuator with a solenoid-armature ram composite according to claim 6.

12. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the solenoid-armature ram composite is mounted on the stator in axially movable manner by plate springs.

13. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the stator has an axial cross-sectional profile, in particular a cone-shaped cross-sectional profile, which diminishes at least partly in the direction of the ram.

14. The linear actuator according to claim 11, wherein the coil has an axial cross-sectional profile, in particular a cone-shaped cross-sectional profile, which diminishes at least partly in the direction of the ram.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the invention and further advantageous embodiments are explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. There are shown:

[0020] FIG. 1 a linear actuator with a solenoid-armature ram composite in a sectional representation;

[0021] FIG. 2 a linear actuator with a solenoid-armature ram composite in a preferred embodiment in a sectional representation;

[0022] FIG. 3 a solenoid-armature ram composite in an assembly mold in a schematic sectional representation;

[0023] FIG. 4 a solenoid-armature ram composite in a preferred embodiment in an assembly mold in a schematic sectional representation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] In FIG. 1 a linear actuator 1 for an active engine mount, in particular for utilization in a vehicle engine, is represented by way of example. The linear actuator 1 has a stator 2 with a coil 3 that can be fed with electrical current for producing an electromagnetic field. Moreover, the linear actuator 1 has a solenoid-armature ram composite 5 that is movable along a longitudinal axis A of the coil 3. The solenoid-armature ram composite 5 comprises a ram 12 and a solenoid armature 6 surrounding the ram 12 in a ring shape, and a casting material 13 connecting the solenoid armature 6 with the ram 12. Preferably, plastics find application as the casting material 13, although also other materials can be used. An air gap 15 present between the solenoid armature 6 and the stator 2 influences the force generation of the linear actuator 1. For producing a high actuator force, a width of the air gap 15 is sought that is as small as possible. The stiffness of the linear actuator 1 is adjusted via two plate springs 4. For this purpose the two plate springs 4 are attached respectively to a step of the ram 12 and to the outside of the stator 2. The solenoid-armature ram composite 5 is thereby mounted in the stator 2 in axially movable manner.

[0025] The stator 2 has an axial cross-sectional profile that diminishes in the direction of the ram 12. Through such a configuration of the stator 2 and the arrangement of the plate springs 4 on the stator 2 a collision of the plate springs 4 with the stator 2 can be avoided and a linear actuator 1 can be created with a small solenoid-armature ram composite 5 and a large length of stroke. Accordingly, in the manufacture of the stator 2 of the linear actuator 1 only little material is required, whereby low material costs are incurred.

[0026] The coil 3 substantially enveloped by the stator 2 likewise has a cross-sectional profile that diminishes at least partly in the direction of the ram 12. A similar cross-sectional profile of the coil 3 and the stator 2 permits the integration of the coil 3 in the stator 2 while making optimal use of the space.

[0027] FIG. 2 shows the linear actuator 1 in a preferred embodiment. The annular solenoid armature 6 of the solenoid-armature ram composite 5 of the linear actuator 1 in this embodiment comprises a first and a second permanent magnet ring 7, 8, between which there is arranged an intermediate ring 9, and a first and a second pole disk 10, 11. The two pole disks 10, 11 respectively adjoin one of the two permanent magnet rings 7, 8 on the outer side in the axial direction, wherein the first pole disk 10 has a smaller inner diameter than the second pole disk 11 and is pressed onto the ram 2, for example.

[0028] The force level of the linear actuator 1 represented in FIG. 2, in addition to the fundamental dependence on the width and length of the air gap between the specified parts 9, 10, 11 of the solenoid armature 6 and the stator 2, is also dependent on the circumference on which the force is generated, i.e. in particular a respective outer diameter of the two pole disks 10, 11 and the intermediate ring 9, and on the volume of the two permanent magnet rings 7, 8.

[0029] To reduce the material consumption and as a consequence the material costs, the permanent magnet rings 7, 8 are dimensioned in the manner known to a person skilled in the art with regard to the BH.sub.max point of the specific material utilized, such that an inner diameter, an outer diameter and a thickness and accordingly a volume of the permanent magnet rings 7, 8 results. Both the two pole disks 10, 11 and the intermediate ring 9 are executed from at least one material of the group of magnetically soft materials, in particular from steel, whereas the two permanent magnet rings 7, 8 are executed from a material of the group of magnetically hard materials. Since components of magnetically soft materials can be produced more easily and more accurately than components of magnetically hard materials, the pole disks 10, 11 and the intermediate ring 9 in the embodiment shown have a larger outer diameter than the permanent magnet rings 7, 8, so that the air gap 15 present between the pole disks 10, 11 and the intermediate ring 9 and the stator 2 can have a particularly small width.

[0030] In FIG. 3 the solenoid-armature ram composite 5 is represented that can be manufactured in an assembly mold 14. For manufacturing the solenoid-armature ram composite 5 the solenoid armature 6 and the ram 12 are so arranged in the assembly mold 14 coated with a release agent that a radial gap remains between the solenoid armature 6 and the ram 12. An inner diameter of the assembly mold 14 and an outer diameter of the solenoid armature 6 are executed in mutually accurately fitting manner. The ram 12 is arranged in the center of the assembly mold 14 with respect to the outer diameter of the solenoid armature 6. The gap between the solenoid armature 6 and the ram 12 is cast with the casting material 13, so that the casting material 13 establishes a connection between the solenoid armature 6 and the ram 12. Through the casting of the gap with the casting material 13 an elaborate and cost-intensive working of the areas of the solenoid armature 6 facing the ram 12 and of the areas of the ram 12 facing the solenoid armature 6 can be omitted.

[0031] In FIG. 4 the solenoid-armature ram composite 5 shown in FIG. 2 is represented in a suitable assembly mold 14. For manufacturing the specified solenoid-armature ram composite 5 the first pole disk 10 having a smaller inner diameter than the second pole disk 11 is pressed onto the ram 12. Thereby, the first pole disk 10 configured to expand over the full area from the inner diameter to the outer diameter serves as the bottom for the casting material 13. Alternatively, the first pole disk 10 can have a large inner diameter like the second pole disk 11, and the gap can be cast down to the bottom of the assembly mold 14. The outer diameters of the two pole disks 10, 11 and of the intermediate ring 9 are executed in accurately fitting manner with respect to an associated inner diameter of the assembly mold 14 and are oriented centered with respect to the longitudinal axis A, so that ultimately the air gap 15 represented in FIG. 2 has a very small width in order to produce an actuator force that is as great as possible. The outer diameter of the permanent magnet rings 7, 8 is selected to be slightly smaller in comparison, preferably in exactly such a manner that, uncritically with respect to tolerance, they still have an outer diameter that is as large as possible and accordingly a volume that is as large as possible. The second pole disk 11, the intermediate ring 9 and the two permanent magnet rings 7, 8 and the ram 12 are arranged in the assembly mold such that a radial gap is present between the specified parts 7, 8, 9, 11 and the ram 12, wherein the ram 12 is arranged in the assembly mold 14 in a manner as centered as possible. The gap between the parts 7, 8, 9, 11 and the ram 12 is cast with the casting material 13 in such a manner that the second pole disk 11, the intermediate ring 9 and the two permanent magnet rings 7, 8 are connected with the ram 12. Thereby, it is possible to omit an elaborate and cost-intensive working of the inner areas of the parts 7, 8, 9, 11 facing the ram 12 and of the outer areas of the magnetically hard permanent magnet rings 7, 8 which are more elaborate and difficult to work than the magnetically soft intermediate ring 9 and the magnetically soft second pole disk 11.