Bi-stable solenoid device, moving magnet actuator, valve and method for operating the bi-stable solenoid device

Abstract

A bi-stable solenoid device is proposed, comprising an armature, which is linearly movable between two opposite end stops and comprising a damping unit, which is in communication with the armature and which is configured to dampen and/or to prevent an impact of the armature on at least one of the end stops by a compression and/or an expansion of a gas volume.

Claims

1. A bi-stable solenoid device, comprising an armature, which is linearly movable between two opposite end stops; and a damping unit, which is in communication with the armature and which is configured to dampen and/or to prevent an impact of the armature on at least one of the end stops by a compression and/or an expansion of a gas volume, wherein the armature comprises a connecting rod, which in all possible operating states, extends into a cylinder of the damping unit, and wherein the damping unit comprises a damping piston, which is gas-tightly fit into the cylinder of the damping unit, and which is fixed to the connecting rod or at least partly formed in one piece with the connecting rod.

2. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1, wherein the damping unit is implemented as a linear dashpot.

3. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1, wherein the damping unit is configured to dampen and/or to prevent the impact of the armature in two opposite movement directions of the armature.

4. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rod carries at least one permanent magnet of a moving magnet actuator, which is participating in the generation of the movement of the armature.

5. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rod carries at least one poppet or is translationally coupled to at least one poppet.

6. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1, further comprising at least one position sensing element, which is configured to determine a current setting position of the armature.

7. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 6, wherein the position sensing element is configured to determine the current setting position of the armature via a remote sensing of the damping piston.

8. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 7, wherein the damping piston comprises a feedback magnet to facilitate the remote sensing of the damping piston by the position sensing element.

9. The bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 8, wherein the position sensing element is implemented as a Hall effect sensor.

10. A moving magnet actuator with the bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1.

11. A valve with the moving magnet actuator according to claim 10.

12. A method for operating the bi-stable solenoid device according to claim 1, wherein in at least one method step, the impact of the armature on the at least one of the end stops is dampened and/or prevented by the damping unit, which is in communication with the armature, via the compression and/or the expansion of the gas volume.

Description

DRAWINGS

(1) Further advantages will become apparent from the following description of the drawings. In the drawings, one exemplary embodiment of the invention is depicted. The drawings, the description and the claims contain a plurality of features in combination. Someone skilled in the art will purposefully also consider the features separately and will find further expedient combinations.

(2) It is shown in:

(3) FIG. 1 a schematic cross-section of a valve with a moving magnet actuator comprising a bi-stable solenoid device,

(4) FIG. 2 a schematic close-up of the bi-stable solenoid device and

(5) FIG. 3 a schematical flowchart for a method for operating the bi-stable solenoid device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT

(6) The FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-section of a valve 40. The valve 40 is implemented as a poppet valve, comprising at least one poppet 32. In the example shown in FIG. 1 the poppet valve comprises two poppets 32, 32, each of which is intended to open and close an opening of a respective valve seat 52, 52. An application of the invention within different valve types however is conceivable. The valve 40 comprises a moving magnet actuator 30. The moving magnet actuator 30 comprises a coil arrangement 44. In the example of FIG. 1 the coil arrangement 44 comprises two coils. Alternatively, the coil arrangement 44 could also comprise more or less than two coils. The coil arrangement 44 is configured to produce a magnetic field when the coils are flowed through by an electric current. The coil arrangement 44 is statically/unmovably arranged within the moving magnet actuator 30. The coils of the arrangement 44 are statically/unmovably arranged within the moving magnet actuator 30. The moving magnet actuator 30 comprises a permanent magnet 46. The permanent magnet 46 is arranged within an opening 48 of the coil arrangement 44. The permanent magnet 46 is movably arranged within the opening 48 of the coil arrangement 44. The permanent magnet 46 is magnetized along an axial direction 50 of the moving magnet actuator 30. The permanent magnet 46 is movable along the axial direction of the moving magnet actuator 30. The permanent magnet 46 is configured to interact with the magnetic field generated by the coil arrangement 44. The magnetic field produced by the coil arrangement 44 pushes and or pulls the permanent magnet 46 up and/or down the axial direction 50. The moving magnet actuator 30 comprises an armature 10. The permanent magnet 46 is arranged within the armature 10. The armature 10 is at least partly implemented by the permanent magnet 46. The moving magnet actuator 30 comprises end stops 12, 14. The end stops 12, 14 are arranged along the axial direction 50. The end stops 12, 14 restrict a movement of the armature 10 within the moving magnet actuator 30. The armature 10 is movable between the end stops 12, 14.

(7) The valve 40 is implemented as a bi-stable valve or as a latching valve. The end stops 12, 14 represent the stable positions of the valve 40. The moving magnet actuator 30 comprises a bi-stable solenoid device 38. FIG. 2 shows a schematic close-up of the bi-stable solenoid device 38. The bi-stable solenoid device 38 comprises the armature 10. The armature 10 is linearly movable between the two opposite end stops 12, 14. The armature 10 comprises a connecting rod 24. The connecting rod 24 extends along the axial direction 50. The connecting rod 24 is movably arranged. The connecting rod 24 is movably arranged within the coil arrangement 44. The armature 10 is fixedly attached to the connecting rod 24.

(8) Alternatively or additionally the connecting rod 24 implements at least a part of the armature 10. The permanent magnet 46 is fixedly attached to the connecting rod 24. The bi-stable solenoid device 38 comprises a magnet element 28. The connecting rod 24 carries the magnet element 28. The magnet element 28 is participating in the generation of the movement of the armature 10. The magnet element 28 is the permanent magnet 46 of the moving magnet actuator 30. The connecting rod 24 is translationally coupled to the poppets 32, 32 Alternatively, the connecting rod 24 could carry the poppets 32, 32 directly.

(9) The bi-stable solenoid device 38 comprises a damping unit 16. The damping unit 16 is configured to dampen and/or to prevent an impact of the armature 10 on at least one of the end stops 12, 14. The damping unit 16 is configured to dampen and/or to prevent the impact of the armature 10 on the respective opposite end stops 12, 14 in two opposite movement directions 20, 22 of the armature 10. The damping unit 16 is configured to dampen and/or to prevent the impact of the armature 10 on the end stops 12, 14 by a compression and/or an expansion of a gas volume 18.

(10) The damping unit 16 is implemented as a linear dashpot. The damping unit 16 comprises a cylinder 58. The cylinder 58 implements a damping pot of the linear dashpot. The damping unit 16 comprises a damping piston 26. The damping piston 26 is tightly fit into the cylinder 58 of the damping unit 16. A movement of the damping piston 26 within the cylinder 58 causes the compression or the expansion of the gas volume 18 depending on its movement direction. The damping piston 26 separates the gas volume of the cylinder 58 in two sub-volumes 54, 56. Each of the sub-volumes 54, 56 is intended to dampen the movement of the armature 10 in one of the two movement directions 20, 22.

(11) The damping unit 16 is in communication with the armature 10. The damping unit 16 is in communication with the connecting rod 24. The connecting rod 24 connects the movement of the armature 10 to the damping unit 16. The connecting rod 24 extends in all possible operating states into the cylinder 58. A movement of the armature 10 causes a movement of the connecting rod 24 within the cylinder 58. The damping piston 26 is fixed to the connecting rod 24. It is also conceivable that the damping piston 26 is at least partly formed in one piece with the connecting rod 24. A movement of the connecting rod 24 causes a movement of the damping piston 26 within the cylinder 58. The movement of the damping piston 26 within the cylinder causes the compression or expansion of the sub-volumes 54, 56 of the gas volume 18 within the cylinder 58.

(12) The bi-stable solenoid device 38 comprises a position sensing element 34. The position sensing element 34 is configured to determine a current setting position of the armature 10. The position sensing element 34 is configured to determine a current latching position of the armature 10. The position sensing element 34 is configured to determine a current stable state of the valve 40. The position sensing element 34 is configured to determine the current setting position of the armature 10 (or the current latching position of the armature 10 or the current stable state of the valve 40) via a remote sensing of the damping piston 26. The position sensing element 34 is implemented as a Hall effect sensor. The position sensing element 34 is arranged outside of the linear dashpot. The position sensing element 34 is arranged outside of and in proximity to an outer wall 60 of the cylinder 58. The position sensing element 34 is arranged in proximity to an outer mantle surface of the cylinder 58. The damping piston 26 comprises a feedback magnet 36. The feedback magnet 36 is integrated into the damping piston 26 or attached to the damping piston 26 or implemented by the damping piston 26. The feedback magnet 36 is configured to facilitate the remote sensing of the damping piston 26 by the position sensing element 34. The feedback magnet 36 is configured to interact with the position sensing element 34 in order to determine the position of the damping piston 26, hence the position of the armature 10.

(13) The valve 40 comprises a connecting element 62, which is at least configured to provide an electrical and data-transfer contact point for contacting the position sensing element 34.

(14) The FIG. 3 shows a schematical flowchart for a method for operating the bi-stable solenoid device 38. In at least one method step 64, the armature 10 is accelerated and moved out of a stable position at an end stop 12 towards the other end stop 14. In at least one further method step 42, the impact of the armature 10 on the end stop 14 is dampened and/or prevented by the damping unit 16 via a compression of a gas within one of the sub-volumes 54 of the gas volume 18. Subsequently the stable position at this end stop 14 is assumed by the armature 10. In at least one further method step 66 the same procedure is performed in the opposite direction towards the other end stop 12 by compressing the other sub-volume 56 of the gas volume 18. Subsequently the other stable position at this other end stop 12 is assumed by the armature 10.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

(15) 10 Armature 12 End stop 14 End stop 16 Damping unit 18 Gas volume 20 Movement direction 22 Movement direction 24 Connecting rod 26 Damping piston 28 Magnet element 30 Moving magnet actuator 32 Poppet 34 Position sensing element 36 Feedback Magnet 38 Bi-stable solenoid device 40 Valve 42 Method step 44 Coil arrangement 46 Permanent magnet 48 Opening 50 Axial direction 52 Valve seat 54 Sub-volume 56 Sub-volume 58 Cylinder 60 Wall 62 Connecting element 64 Method step 66 Method step