Supports – Stand – Tilting support surface
Patent
1995-03-10
1996-11-12
Ramirez, Ramon O.
Supports
Stand
Tilting support surface
343882, A47G 2900
Patent
active
055732186
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for orientating an object mounted on a first plane with reference to a second plane, comprising a first housing attached to the second plane, a second housing rotatably mounted on the first housing around a first axis n which forms an angle B1 with a normal Z on the second plane, a third housing rotatably mounted on the second housing around a second axis L which forms an angle B2 with the first axis N.
DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND
An apparatus of this kind is known from EP-B 0,155,922. This patent specification relates to an apparatus for retaining a universal table in a horizontal position and for rotating the radar antenna in a certain azimuth direction.
In the known apparatus the object is rotated in the first plane with the aid of a fourth housing, mounted in the center of the apparatus, which fourth housing also provides for a rotational reference between the first plane and the second plane. The fourth housing, together with additional means, occupies the center of the system, which makes it difficult to pass connecting means like cables and flexible waveguides through it. It moreover makes the overall construction rather complex.
From FR-A 2562459 a robot arm is known in which a number of identical, annularly-shaped housings are used for moving the arm. In this known apparatus all housings mounted onto one housing necessarily rotate together with that one housing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The apparatus according to the invention alleviates these disadvantages and is characterised in that the third housing comprises a rotatable upper surface with a third rotation axis M which forms an angle B3 with the second axis L, wherein drive means are provided, arranged to rotate the second housing, the third housing and the rotatable upper surface of the third housing about their respective axis, wherein the angles B1, B2 and B3 are not equal to zero, wherein the first housing, the second housing and the third housing have a substantially annular shape, wherein the drive means comprise a first motor mounted on the first housing, arranged to rotate the second housing with respect to the first housing, a second motor mounted on the second housing, arranged to rotate the third housing with respect to the third housing and wherein angle indicators are provided which are arranged to measure the angular rotation of the second housing, the third housing and the rotatable upper surface of the third housing and wherein control means are provided which are connected to the angle indicators and the motors and which are arranged to control the first and second motor for orientating the first plane with respect to the second plane and to control the third motor for rotating the object in the first plane, thereby compensating for possible rotations introduced by the rotations of the second and third housing in combination.
From FR-A 2562459 a robot arm is known in which a number of identical, annulary-shaped housings are used for moving the arm. In this known apparatus all housings mounted onto one housing necessarily rotate together with that one housing.
A favourable embodiment of the apparatus is characterised in that the housings are substantially identical. A special embodiment of the housing is characterised in that the drive means for each housing comprise a motor connected to the control means, a gear unit and an angle indicator connected to the control means, designed for measuring the angular rotation from a reference position of the upper surface relative to the lower surface.
A favourable embodiment of the control means is characterised in that the control means comprise a module for the determination, out of a test signal vector .phi., a reference signal vector .theta. and a substructure position vector .psi., of an error angle vector .delta., comprising azimuth error angle .delta..sub.a, the elevation error angle .delta..sub.e and the roll error angle .delta..sub.r between a coordinate system assumed by the object to be position
REFERENCES:
patent: 5000408 (1991-03-01), Bourgeois et al.
patent: 5479181 (1995-12-01), Simpson
Groenenboom Albert
Vaassen Wilhelmus M. H.
Hollandse Signaalapparaten B.V.
Ramirez Ramon O.
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