The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 09, 2007
Filed:
Nov. 01, 2005
Paul J. Patt, Danville, CA (US);
Daniel Y. Chu, Hercules, CA (US);
Jeffry Ceremony, Fairfield, CA (US);
Paul J. Patt, Danville, CA (US);
Daniel Y. Chu, Hercules, CA (US);
Jeffry Ceremony, Fairfield, CA (US);
Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Hercules, CA (US);
Abstract
A moving coil actuator that moves in a rapid back-and-forth motion is constructed with a magnet assembly that concentrates the magnetic flux in a region of limited length and with a coiled electric conductor that includes two separated regions of densely wound coil, the assembly and conductor arranged such that only one of the coil regions resides in a concentrated flux region at either end of the actuator stroke. This is achieved with either a single region of concentrated flux or two spatially separated regions of concentrated flux. In either case, the force constant, i.e., the motor force generated in each coil per unit of current through the coil, is non-linear, with a maximal force at each end of the stroke and a minimal force at the stroke mid-point. The result is an efficient use of the electric current and relatively small amounts of materials of construction, and accordingly less weight for the actuator to carry during its travel and its changes of direction.