Electromagnetic levitation device

Claim 1

In an electromagnetic levitation device for supporting an electrically conductive part without physical contact, said device comprising: a source of an alternating excitation electric current, and at least one elongate excitation electric conductor fed from said source and forming current loops and respective magnetic poles each of which alternates with said excitation electric current, said current loops defining a levitation area and forming a two-dimensional alternated network of said magnetic poles, the improvement wherein said at least one excitation conductor extends, in said levitation area in zigzag form, defining a succession of sawtooth paths which succeed one another in a first direction and each of which has a centerline running along a second direction, each of said conductor sawtooth paths forming on both sides thereof an alternate succession of conductor section peaks and of valleys each between two peaks, any two consecutive ones of said sawtooth paths having mutually facing peaks and valleys, without said two consecutive paths crossing each other, such that any pair of two of said mutually facing peaks form a proximity zone between said two paths, and means for feeding said two consecutive conductor sawtooth paths from said source in two opposite current directions, respectively, whereby said current loops are formed by respective pairs of two said mutually facing valleys between two said proximity zones.