Positioning device for planar positioning
First Claim
1. A positioning device comprising:
- a shuttle;
a base assembly having a planar surface;
means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above said planar surface of said base assembly;
said means for slidably supporting including means for permitting said shuttle to slide in any direction in said plane;
a plurality of linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner;
said plurality of linear motors including a plurality of magnets;
said linear motors passing a current through a magnetic field produced by said plurality of magnets thereby producing a force;
said first axis defining a first direction; and
said second axis defining a second direction.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A positioning device has a shuttle slidably and rotatably supported above a base assembly. A first linear motor moves the shuttle linearly in a first direction while the second and third linear motors move the shuttle linearly in a second direction, normal to the first direction. The second and third linear motors are separated along an axis in the first direction. The linear motors have magnetic arrays including rows of magnets or a checkerboard array of magnets and provide continuously variable positioning. Rotary movement of the shuttle is achieved by operating the second and third linear motors in opposing directions or at differing rates. The positions of three points on the shuttle are determined by three optical encoders, or three interferometers, whose signals provide feedback to a controller which actuates the linear motors accordingly. The controller employs an algorithm for the translation of the three point positions into shuttle position and orientation information and for implementing a closed loop control system whereby the shuttle may be positioned with respect to a reference point, torque thereupon may be compensated for, and the shuttle may be rotated.
85 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly having a planar surface; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above said planar surface of said base assembly; said means for slidably supporting including means for permitting said shuttle to slide in any direction in said plane; a plurality of linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner; said plurality of linear motors including a plurality of magnets; said linear motors passing a current through a magnetic field produced by said plurality of magnets thereby producing a force; said first axis defining a first direction; and said second axis defining a second direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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3. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above a surface of said base assembly such that said shuttle is slidable in a plane; linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner; said linear motors including magnets generating forces by acting upon a current traveling through a magnetic field of said magnets; said first axis defining a first direction; said second axis defining a second direction; said linear motors including at least first, second and third linear motors; said first, second and third linear motors including first, second and third coil assemblies, respectively; said first linear motor including means for producing a first force on said shuttle along said first axis; said second and third linear motors including means for producing second and third forces at spaced-apart locations on said shuttle along said second axis whereby differential actuation thereof is effective to produce a torque on said shuttle. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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17. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above a surface of said base assembly such that said shuttle is slidable in any direction in said plane; linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner; said linear motors including means for producing magnetic fields; said linear motor including means for carrying currents in said magnetic fields, thereby producing forces; said first axis defining a first direction; said second axis defining a second direction; means for determining a position of said shuttle in said first and second directions; said means for carrying current including coil assemblies; said linear motors including means for producing magnetic fields; said means for producing magnetic fields including a coil array having coils in a rows along said first axis and said second axis; and said coil array being positioned to interact with said coil assemblies by inducing the production of magnetic fields by said coil array by induction due to the generation of magnetic fields by said coil assemblies, whereby the coil arrays move relative to the coil assemblies. - View Dependent Claims (18, 20)
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19. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above a surface of said base assembly such that said shuttle is slidable in all dimensions of said plane; linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner; said linear motors including means for producing magnetic fields; said linear motor including means for carrying currents in said magnetic fields, thereby producing forces; said first axis defining a first direction; said second axis defining a second direction; means for determining a position of said shuttle in said first and second directions; said means for carrying current including coil assemblies; said means for producing magnetic fields including a coil array having coils in a rows along said first axis and said second axis; said coil array being positioned so as to function with said coil assemblies such that magnetic fields are produced by said coil array by means of induction due to the generation of magnetic fields by said coil assemblies, whereby the coil arrays move relative to the coil assemblies; said linear motors including at least first, second and third linear motors; said first, second and third linear motors including first, second and third coil assemblies, respectively, of said coil assemblies; said first linear motor including means for producing a first force on said shuttle along said first axis; and said second and third linear motors including means for producing second and third forces at spaced-apart locations on said shuttle along said second axis whereby differential actuation thereof is effective to produce a torque on said shuttle and rotation thereof.
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21. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above a surface of said base assembly such that said shuttle may slide in a plane; linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner; said linear motors generating forces by means of a magnetic field, acting upon a current traveling through the magnetic field; said first axis defining a first direction; said second axis defining a second direction; means for determining a position of said shuttle in said first and second directions; said linear motors including coil assemblies; said linear motors including means for producing magnetic fields; said means for producing magnetic fields including a coil array having coils in a rows along said first axis and said second axis; said coil array being positioned so as to function with said coil assemblies such that magnetic fields are produced by said coil array by means of induction due to the generation of magnetic fields by said coil assemblies, whereby the coil arrays move relative to the coil assemblies; said means for producing magnetic fields having a checkerboard coil array having coils distributed in a checkerboard pattern having rows and columns; said rows and columns being oriented in said first and said second directions, respectively; and said checkerboard coil array being positioned so as to function with said first, second, and third coil assemblies such that magnetic fields are produced by said checkerboard coil array by means of induction due to the generation of magnetic fields by said first, second, and third coil assemblies, respectively, so that said coil arrays move relative to said coil assemblies. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above a surface of said base assembly such that said shuttle may slide in a plane and may rotate; linear motors for linearly moving and rotating said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes; said first axis defining a first direction; said second axis defining a second direction; means for determining a position of said shuttle in said first and second directions; said means for determining a position being located at a position apart from a position of said linear motors; a controller for driving said linear motors utilizing said means for determining a position as a source of feedback signals; and said controller transforming coordinates of the position of the means for determining a position to transformed coordinates of a position of said linear motors and using said transformed coordinates to effect positioning of said linear motors. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. A positioning device driven by a controller comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle above a surface of said base assembly including one of air beatings and magnetic beatings; at least first, second and third linear motors for linearly urging said shuttle above said surface along orthogonal first and second axes; first, second and third coil assemblies associated with said first, second and third linear motors; said at least three linear motors including means for producing magnetic fields normal to said surface of said base assembly and with alternating polarity along said orthogonal first and second axes; said means for producing magnetic fields including first, second and third magnetic arrays; said first magnetic array having magnets in a row with pole orientations alternating along said first axis; said second and third magnetic arrays having magnets in parallel rows with pole orientations alternating along said second axis; said first, second, and third magnetic arrays being positioned so as to function with said first, second, and third coil assemblies; said coil assemblies and said means for producing magnetic fields being mounted such that said shuttle is moved relative to said base assembly; said first linear motor urging said shuttle in direction of said first axis; said second and third linear motors being separated in a direction of said first axis; said second and third linear motors each independently urging said shuttle in a direction of said second axis that at least one of linear and rotary motion is produced; first means for determining a position of said shuttle along said first axis; and second and third means spaced apart along a direction of said first axis for detecting positions of two positions on said shuttle along said second axis.
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29. A positioning device driven by a controller comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle above a surface of said base assembly including one of air bearings and magnetic bearings; at least first, second and third linear motors for linearly moving and rotating said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes comprising in a continuously variable manner; at least first, second and third coil assemblies; said first linear motor including first means for producing a first magnetic field normal to said surface of said base assembly and with alternating polarity along said first axis; said second and third linear motors including second and third means for producing second and third magnetic fields normal to said surface with alternating polarities along said second axis; said first, second and third means for producing magnetic fields including a checkerboard magnet array having magnets distributed in a checkerboard pattern having rows and columns; said magnets alternating with non-magnetic spaces along both said rows and said columns of said checker board pattern; said rows and said columns having said magnets in uniform pole orientations within each of said rows and columns; said rows and columns alternating orientations of said uniform pole orientations thereof; said rows and columns being oriented in directions of said first and said second axes, respectively; said coil assemblies and said means for producing magnetic fields being mounted such that said shuttle is moved relative to said base assembly; said first linear motor urging said shuttle in said first direction; said second and third linear motors being separated along a direction of said first axis; and each of said second and third linear motors independently urging said shuttle in a direction of said second axis such that at least one of linear and rotary motion is produced.
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30. An omni-directional linear motor comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle above a surface of said base assembly; linear motors for linearly moving and rotating said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal axis comprising; first, second and third coil assemblies; means for producing magnetic fields normal to said surface of said base assembly and with alternating polarity along a first and a second direction; and said first and second directions being normal to each other in a plane of the surface of said base assembly; said means for producing magnetic fields comprising; a checkerboard magnet array having magnets distributed in a checkerboard pattern having rows and columns; said magnets alternating with non-magnetic spaces along both said rows and said columns of said checker board pattern; said rows and said columns having said magnets in uniform pole orientations within each of said rows and columns; said rows and columns alternating orientations of said uniform pole orientations thereof; said rows and columns being oriented in said first and said second directions, respectively; said coil assemblies and said means for producing magnetic fields being mounted such that said shuttle is movable relative to said base assembly; said first coil assembly urging said shuttle in said first direction; said second and a third coil assemblies being separated along an axis in the first direction; and said second and third coil assemblies each independently urging said shuttle in said second direction such that at least one of linear and rotary motion is produced.
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31. A positioning device comprising:
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a shuttle; a base assembly; means for slidably supporting said shuttle in a plane above a surface of said base assembly such that said shuttle may slide in a plane; linear motors for linearly moving said shuttle above said surface of said base assembly along orthogonal first and second axes in a continuously variable manner; said linear motors generating forces by means of a magnetic field, produced by magnets, acting upon a current traveling through the magnetic field; said first axis defining a first direction; said second axis defining a second direction; said linear motors including a first magnetic array having magnets in a row with pole orientations alternating in a direction of said first axis; and said linear motors including second and third magnetic arrays, respectively, each having magnets in a row with pole orientations alternating in a direction of said second axis.
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Specification