Patent ID: 7852183

Claim:
An actuator assembly, comprising: a power drive unit adapted to receive drive power and configured, upon receipt of the drive power, to rotate; an actuator coupled to the power drive unit and configured, in response to power drive unit rotation, to move to a position; a latch rotor coupled to the power drive unit to rotate therewith, the latch rotor comprising a main body having N-number of lobes extending radially therefrom, N being a number greater than one; (N/2)-number of permanent magnet pole pairs spaced apart from and at least partially surrounding the latch rotor, each of the permanent magnet pole pairs supplying a permanent magnetic field that opposes rotation of the latch rotor; and an electromagnet adapted to receive a flow of electrical current and configured, upon receipt thereof, to generate a magnetic field that simultaneously opposes all of the permanent magnetic fields supplied from the permanent magnet pole pairs or simultaneously aids all of the permanent magnetic fields supplied from the permanent magnet pole pairs, the electromagnet comprising: a latch stator non-rotationally mounted adjacent to, and at least partially surrounding, the latch rotor, the latch stator having the permanent magnet pole pairs mounted thereon, and a plurality of latch windings wound around at least a portion of the latch stator, the latch windings disposed adjacent the magnet pole pairs and adapted to receive the flow of electrical current, the latch windings wound on the latch stator such that, upon receipt of the flow of electrical current, the latch windings simultaneously generate the same number of magnetic pole pairs as there are permanent magnet pole pairs.