Patent ID: 7102475

Claim:
A magnetic actuator comprising: a first yoke including an assembly of laminated metal sheets; a second yoke affixed to the first yoke, wherein the first yoke has a first surface perpendicular to a lamination direction of the metal sheets and the second yoke is attached to the first surface of the first yoke; a permanent magnet; an armature located inside the first yoke and movable in reciprocating motion over a stroke between a first position and a second position, along a first direction; and at least one coil, wherein a flux generated by the at least one coil passes through a first magnetic circuit including the armature and the first yoke to move the armature toward one of the first and second positions, and a flux generated by the permanent magnet passes through a second magnetic circuit including the permanent magnet, the first yoke, the second yoke, and the armature to hold the armature at one of the first and second positions.