Patent ID: 8729992

Claim:
An electromagnetic actuator device comprising: a core unit that has a coil means and is designed for interacting with anchor means movably guided relative to the core unit in response to energizing the coil means; said core unit having a yoke or U-shaped configuration with a plurality of spaced apart legs connected by a cross member having a length; each of said spaced apart legs having a longitudinal axis and a free end which is perpendicular to said longitudinal axis; said anchor means having a plurality of spatially spaced apart and independently movable plunger units which move toward and away from the free ends of said spaced apart legs; the core unit interacting with said plurality of spatially spaced apart plunger units so that an electromagnetic interaction with the plurality of plunger units takes place in response to energizing a coil of the coil means; and at least one of the plunger units has permanent magnet means designed for interacting with the core unit, and said at least one of the plunger units being independently movable in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of at least one of said legs and perpendicular to said length of said cross member and being aligned with said at least one of said legs so as to have an end opposed to said free end of said at least one of said legs.