Planar Pop-Up Actuator Device with Embedded Electro-Magnetic Actuation

Abstract

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.

1 . A planar actuator device, comprising:
 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,   wherein the first, second and third coil pairs respectively, are configured for magnetic coupling with a respective permanent magnet of the first, second, and third sliding element, respectively, to move the first, second, and third sliding element along the first, second, and third linear motion axis, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The planar actuator device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a power supply configured to provide power to each of the first, second, and third pair of planar coils for the magnetic coupling.   
     
     
         3 . The planar actuator device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a position of the outer coil of the first, second, and third coil pair along the first, second and third linear motion axis, respectively, is defined such that the first, second, and third sliding elements can be moved outwardly away from a center of the base plate along the first, second and third linear motion axis, respectively, such that the actuation mechanism is flat, arranged in parallel with a plane defined by the base plate.   
     
     
         4 . The planar actuator device according to  claim 1 , wherein the legs and centerpiece of the actuation mechanism are made from a single sheet, and the permanent magnets are bonded to the single sheet. 
     
     
         5 . The planar actuator device according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a controller device configured to control the power supply for individual power control for each coil of the first, second, and third coil pair, to establish the magnetic coupling individually for each coil and individual linear movement of the first, second, and third slider along the first, second, and third linear motion axis.   
     
     
         6 . The planar actuator device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first, second, and third rail structure for guiding a linear motion of the first, second, and third sliding element along the first, second, and third linear motion axis, respectively.   
     
     
         7 . An 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;   an actuation mechanism including a first, second, and third planar legs, 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; and   a delta robot structure including a first, a second, and a third articulated arm and a centerpiece pivotably connected to each of the first, second, and third articulated arm, each of the first, second, and third articulated arm having a lower section and an upper section pivotably connected to each other, each end portion of the first, the second, and the third middle section of the first, the second, and the third leg, respectively, pivotably connected to the lower section of the first, second, and third articulated arm, respectively.   
     
     
         8 . The actuator device according to  claim 6 , wherein the upper section and the lower section of the first, second, and third articulated arm have a same length. 
     
     
         9 . The actuator device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 a position of the outer coil of the first, second, and third coil pair along the first, second and third linear motion axis, respectively, is defined such that the first, second, and third sliding elements can be moved outwardly away from a center of the base plate along the first, second and third linear motion axis, respectively, such that the actuation mechanism and the delta robot structure is flat, arranged in parallel with a plane defined by the base plate.   
     
     
         10 . The actuator device according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a first, second, and third rail structure for guiding a linear motion of the first, second, and third sliding element along the first, second, and third linear motion axis, respectively.