Pivot mounting assembly

• US 20020100851A1
• Filed: 10/19/2001
• Published: 08/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
• Original Assignee: Carl-Zeiss-Stiftung
• Inventors: Brockel, Jorg, Abramowsky, Heinz, Wirth, Michael, Brenner, Roland, Grubauer, Gunter
• Granted Patent: US 6,523,796 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 248/284.1
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/10 around a horizontal axis F16M11/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/2092 comprising means allowing depth adjustment, i.e. forward-backward translation of the head relatively to the undercarriage
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/24 changeable in height or length of legs, also for transport only, e.g. by means of tubes screwed into each otherF16M11/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/044 for balancing rotational movement of the undercarriage
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 2200/063 Parallelogram arms

Abstract

A pivot mounting assembly is provided including a pivot arm (5) hinged to a pivot base (3) for mounting a load in a vertically adjustable manner. A first force-providing device (13) is hinged with its first operative end to the pivot arm and is supported with its second (17) operative ends on the pivot base for providing an antitorque moment to at least partially compensate for a torque imparted by the load on the pivot arm. The pivot base is provided with a support surface (27) in which the support location (49) for the second operative end is shiftable. A second force-providing device (36) is provided for generating a shifting force the second operative end of the first force-providing device.

Claims

1. A pivot mounting assembly comprising:

a pivot arm for mounting a load in a vertically adjustable manner, said pivot arm being hinged to a pivot base to be pivotable about a horizontal axis,

a first force-providing device which is hinged with a first one of its two operative ends to the pivot arm spaced apart from the horizontal axis and which is supported with a second one of its two operative ends on the pivot base at a support location which is vertically spaced apart from the horizontal axis by a distance for providing an antitorque moment to at least partially compensate for a torque imparted by the load on the pivot arm,

wherein the pivot base is provided with a support surface which extends transverse to the horizontal direction and has a shift area in which the support location is shiftable along the support surface,

wherein the support surface is oriented in the shift area such that, when the support location is disposed in the shift area and the pivot arm is raised, a downwardly directed deflection force acts on the operative end of the first force-providing device hinged to the pivot base for shifting the support location, and, when the pivot arm is lowered, an upwardly directed deflection force acts on the operative end of the force-providing device hinged to the pivot base for shifting the support location, and

a second force-providing device for generating a counterforce to the downwardly or/and upwardly directed deflection force, said counterforce acting on the end of the first force-providing device hinged to the pivot base, with the support location being disposed in at least a partial area of the shift area.

2. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second force-providing device is a double-acting force-providing device which provides a counterforce acting on the end of the first force-providing device hinged to the pivot base when the same is deflected from a center of the shift area thereof, said counterforce being directed towards said center.

3. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second force-providing device comprises at least one pressure spring.

4. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the second force-providing device comprises at least one tension spring.

5. The pivot mounting assembly according claim 1, wherein a drive is provided for shifting the shift area as such in vertical direction and for adjustably varying the antitorque moment.

6. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the antitorque moment is variable in a predetermined range and wherein forces provided by the first force-providing device and the second force-providing device are adjusted to each other such that, with a small antitorque moment, the deflection force for shifting the support location is smaller than the maximum counterforce of the second force-providing device.

7. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein a pair of end stops is provided for limiting the shift area as partial area of the support surface, and wherein the pair of end stops is vertically movable by the drive.

8. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the drive is coupled with one of its operative ends to the end of the first force-providing device which is supported on the pivot base and is hinged with its other operative end to the pivot base, with the second force-providing device being interposed.

9. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the drive is hinged with one of its two operative ends to the pivot base and is coupled with its other operative end to the end of the first force-providing device which is supported on the pivot base, with the second force-providing device being interposed.

10. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the pair of end stops is provided by a pressure spring of the second force-providing device.

11. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the drive is a spindle drive, the spindle of which traverses coil springs of the second force-providing device in longitudinal direction thereof.

12. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 5, wherein the support surface is provided on a carriage which is vertically shiftable by means of the drive.

13. The pivot mounting assembly according to claim 1, wherein the support surface extends partially orthogonal to an extension direction of the pivot arm if the same is partially raised from a horizontal position.