Moving magnet tilt actuator
A moving magnet voice coil actuator includes a bobbin that defines a non-straight opening for receiving a magnetic piece. The bobbin may be additively manufactured to a desired shape. The moving magnetic piece may be a curved piece that has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the opening. The magnetic piece may include a stack of magnets, which may be tapered, to allow limited tilting movement of the magnetic piece within the opening. The actuator may be part of a pair of actuators for tilting an object, for example a mirror, about a pivot point. The pair of actuators may be part of a system that includes an additional pair of actuators configured to tilt the object in a second direction that is different from the first direction.
1 . An actuator comprising:
a moving magnetic piece;
a bobbin defining a non-straight opening through which the moving magnetic piece moves;
a first wire coil around a first length of the bobbin; and
a second wire coil around a second length of the bobbin.
2 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the non-straight opening is a curved opening.
3 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the non-straight opening is a kinked opening.
4 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the bobbin is an aluminum bobbin.
5 . The actuator of claim 3 , wherein the kinked opening comprises a first straight segment angled in a first direction and a second straight segment angled in a second direction different than the first direction.
6 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the first wire coil and the second wire coil are configured to be independently controlled.
7 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic piece includes a stack of magnets.
8 . The actuator of claim 7 , wherein the stack of magnets has a curved shape.
9 . The actuator of claim 7 , wherein:
the magnetic piece includes pole pieces on ends of the stack of magnets; and
the magnetic piece includes an additional pole piece between the pole pieces on the ends of the stack.
10 . The actuator of claim 7 , wherein the stack of magnets is a tapered stack of magnets, with magnets varying in width along the stack.
11 . The actuator of claim 10 , wherein the magnets include a narrowest magnet at a free end of the magnetic piece.
12 . The actuator of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic piece includes an arced magnet.
13 . An actuator system comprising:
a first actuator that includes:
a moving magnetic piece;
a bobbin defining a non-straight opening through which the moving magnetic piece moves;
a first wire coil around a first length of the bobbin; and
a second wire coil around a second length of the bobbin; and
a second actuator.
14 . The actuator system of claim 13 , further comprising a third actuator used in combination with the first actuator and the second actuator;
wherein the first actuator, the second actuator, and the third actuator are disposed around a pivot point;
wherein the first actuator is configured to tilt an object in a first direction;
wherein the second actuator is configured to tilt the object in a second direction different from the first direction; and
wherein the third actuator is configured to tilt the object in a third direction different from the first direction and the second direction.
15 . The actuator system of claim 13 , wherein the actuator system has the first actuator and the second actuator on opposite sides of a pivot point, the first actuator and the second actuator being a first pair of actuators configured to tilt an object about the pivot point.
16 . The actuator system of claim 15 , further comprising a third actuator and a fourth actuator, the third actuator and the fourth actuator being a second pair of actuators configured to tilt the object about the pivot point;
wherein the first pair of actuators is configured to tilt the object in a first direction;
wherein the second pair of actuators is configured to tilt the object in a second direction; and
wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.
17 . The actuator system of claim 16 , wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.
18 . The actuator system of claim 16 , wherein:
the first pair of actuators is configured to tilt the object a first range of angles in the first direction; and
the second pair of actuators is configured to tilt the object a second range of angles in the second direction, with the second range of angles different from the first range of angles.
19 . An actuator system comprising:
multiple actuators configured to tilt a mirror;
wherein each of the actuators includes:
a moving magnetic piece;
a bobbin defining a non-straight opening through which the moving magnetic piece moves;
a first wire coil around a first length of the bobbin; and
a second wire coil around a second length of the bobbin.
20 . The actuator system of claim 19 , wherein the first wire coil and the second wire coil are configured to be independently controlled.