Mechanical linear guide

Details Mechanical linear guide Mechanical linear guide

1995-08-07

1997-09-02

Brock, Michael

Measuring and testing

Instrument proving or calibrating

Speed, velocity, or acceleration

267160, 248605, 248602, 73 182, G01N 3700

Patent

active

056634862

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a mechanical linear guide for making a body move in an axial direction, comprising suspension means arranged between points arranged within n planes, n being an integer and at least equal to 2, all of said planes having a common curve of intersection along which an axial movement of said body is defined and adjacent planes meeting each other at an angle of 2.pi.
radians, each of said planes comprising a least a fixed first, a movable second and a common third point of said points, said common third point being situated at said common curve of intersection, within each of said planes first suspension means being connected at one end to said fixed first point and being movably connected by the other end at a predetermined angle at said movable second point to second suspension means, each of said second suspension means being movably connected to said body at said common third point.


BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Such a construction forms part of a mechanical linear guide which is known from the lecture synopsis of M. P. Xoster, "Constructieprincipes voor het nauwkeurig bewegen en positioneren" ("Construction principles for accurately moving and positioning"), WA-163, University of Twente, October 1990, p. 172. In order to make only an axial movement possible in the known construction, the above-mentioned four suspension means and five points cannot lie in a flat plane. In the known construction the first three points lie in a first plane, and the third, fourth and fifth points lie in a second plane, which planes form an angle of 120.degree. with each other. Further suspension means are also provided, in such a way that a three-dimensional, symmetrical construction is produced and movement possibilities other than in the axial direction are eliminated. The known construction makes it possible for the body to move substantially only in an axial direction and for the lateral movement possibilities to be very small. However, for certain applications, the lateral deflections occurring herewith are still too great.


OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a mechanical linear guide which further reduces the lateral deflection possibilities of a body, while retaining a certain desired minimum axial deflection possibility.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

For this purpose, a mechanical linear guide according to the invention is characterized in that within each plane third suspension means are provided, which are each connected at one end to said first fixed point and movably connected by the other end at a common fourth point to one end of fourth suspension means, which fourth suspension means are at the other end movably connected at said second point to said first and said second suspension means, all of said third suspension means and all of said fourth suspension means being movably interconnected at said common fourth point, which like said common third point is also situated on said common curve of intersection.
With such a mechanical linear guide, an extremely accurate linear movement can be given to a body, while the lateral deflections are less than 10 nm in the case of an axial deflection of, for example, 3 mm.
The number of planes as defined above may e.g. be equal to n=2 or n=3.
In one embodiment of the mechanical linear guide, each plane comprises a fixed fifth point, a movable sixth point, a common seventh point and a common eighth point, both said common seventh point and said common eighth point being situated on said common curve of intersection, the body being fixed between said common third point and said common seventh point, and said fixed fifth point, said movable sixth point, said common seventh point and said common eighth point forming a quadrangle substantially coinciding with the mirror image of a quadrangle formed by said fixed first point, said movable second point, said common third point and said common fourth point relative to a plane perpendicular to said common curve of intersection when the

REFERENCES:
patent: 3727900 (1973-04-01), Casey
patent: 4691586 (1987-09-01), van Leijenhorst et al.
patent: 4763885 (1988-08-01), Zamitter
patent: 4768702 (1988-09-01), Takahashi et al.
patent: 5139242 (1992-08-01), Yarr
patent: 5315890 (1994-05-01), Long
H. Bulten, "mechanismen voor parallel-geleiding", de contructeur, Nov. 1969, No. 11, pp. 45-52.

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