Machine element or mechanism – Control lever and linkage systems – Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
Patent
1998-07-20
2000-04-11
Graysay, Tamara L.
Machine element or mechanism
Control lever and linkage systems
Multiple controlling elements for single controlled element
108143, 359393, G05G 1100, A47B 1100, G02B 2126
Patent
active
060476133
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The innovation relates to a drive device for a mechanical stage of a microscope, in accordance with the preamble of Patent claim 1.
Known mechanical stages of a microscope have a base plate which is arranged in a fixed manner and two carriages which are connected thereto. The carriages serve to position the object which is to be viewed and are designed so as to be displaceable in the X and Y directions. Coaxially arranged rotary knobs are provided on the mechanical stage of a microscope as manually operated elements for adjusting the carriages and are connected to the carriages via a gear mechanism.
Such a drive device is described in DE 35 28 615 A1. The control knobs are connected to toothed racks via two individual, coaxially arranged shafts and to drive pinions. The toothed racks are fixedly arranged on the carriage so that the rotational movement on the respective control knob is transmitted directly to the carriage. In order to implement the largest possible displacement path for the two carriages and, in doing so, to ensure constant precision in the guidance over the entire displacement travel, the toothed racks are dimensioned so as to be larger than the respective carriages. However, this results in the toothed racks protruding beyond the carriages, so that a relatively large amount of space is required for the mechanical stage of the microscope.
DE 30 27 461 A1 discloses a drive device which, in addition to the pinion toothed-rack links has a rapid adjustment feature for the microscope stage. For this purpose, the coaxially arranged shafts of the control knobs are provided with friction wheels which are operatively connected to the pinion toothed-rack link. As a result of these friction wheels, rapid adjustment of a mechanical stage of the microscope is possible by means of a separate manually operated element.
The dimensions of microscope mechanical stages used for inspecting semiconductors have grown owing to the increasing sizes of wafers and/or masks. However, as a result of this the known toothed-rack drives require an increasing amount of space so that it has become difficult to integrate such a microscope in a production line.
A microscope mechanical stage with an integrated drive is known from DE 35 14 431 A1. This document discloses a drive which implements the adjustment of the carriages on the mechanical stage by means of Bowden cables which are deflected repeatedly. In order to configure this drive with as little play as possible, the Bowden cables are prestressed by means of spring means. However, with this drive it is not possible to exclude the possibility of slip arising between the Bowden cables and the drive rollers and consequently no precise guidance or adjustment of the mechanical stage is possible.
DE 33 18 959 A1 discloses a drive device, of largely play-free design, for the supporting slide on a microscope stage in which the supporting slide can be positioned in the X and Y directions by means of a holder. Two rotatably mounted threaded spindles are connected as drive to the supporting slide, the threaded spindles being in each case connected to a motor drive by means of flexible shafts. However, manual adjustment is not possible with this drive device.
The object of the present innovation is therefore, based on the known prior art, to develop a drive device for a mechanical stage of a microscope, having a precise pinion toothed-rack guidance and a large carriage displacement area, such that the toothed racks are integrated completely in the mechanical stage of the microscope.
According to the innovation, this object is achieved by means of the features specified in the characterizing part of claim 1. Further advantageous developments of the innovation form the subject matter of the subclaims.
The innovation will be explained in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment and by means of the schematic drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a view of the mechanical stage of a microscope,
FIG. 2 shows a detail from FIG. 1 in the region of the X adjustment,
FIG. 3 shows a
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Graysay Tamara L.
Leica AG
Stallman Brandon C.
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