Actuator for adjusting a movable element, uses and methods of adjustment
AssigneeCarl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH
InventorsMirko Liedtke, Tobias Kaufhold, Franziska Tischer
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Abstract
An actuator for adjusting a movable element in a beam path of an optical arrangement, includes the movable element, a carrier, and at least one SMA element, said SMA element being connected to the movable element and being designed so as to be supported on the carrier such that when the extension of the SMA element alters, a directed force effect is produced between said movable element and carrier.
Claims15
An actuator for producing actuating movement of an element to be moved in a beam path of an optical arrangement comprising a sensor element, said actuator comprising:
- the element to be moved,
- a carrier,
- a first shape memory alloy (SMA) element, and
- a second SMA element, wherein the first SMA element and the second SMA element are connected to the element to be moved and embodied so as to be supported on the carrier, such that directed force effects are produced between the element to be moved and the carrier to move the element to be moved by a distance corresponding to a fraction of the sensor element and in a direction crossing or aligned with an optical axis of the optical arrangement based on changes in extents of the first SMA element and the second SMA element in different directions.
An actuator for producing actuating movement of an element to be moved in a beam path of an optical arrangement, said actuator comprising:
- the element to be moved,
- a carrier, and
- at least one SMA element,
- wherein the SMA element is connected to the element to be moved and embodied so as to be supported on the carrier, such that a directed force effect is produced between the element to be moved and the carrier in case of a change in extent of the SMA element, and
- wherein the SMA element is arranged about the element to be moved in a helical fashion such that, when a change occurs in an extent of the SMA element in a length direction, a directed force effect is caused in a direction of an axis and/or a rotation of the actuator about the axis.
A method for producing an actuating movement of a sensor comprising a number of sensor elements, said method comprising:
- producing said actuating movement with an actuator comprising an element to be moved, a carrier, and at least one SMA element, wherein the SMA element is connected to the element to be moved and embodied so as to be supported on the carrier, such that a directed force effect is produced between the element to be moved and the carrier in case of a change in extent of the SMA element,
- wherein actual measured values of the sensor present in the optical arrangement are captured and evaluated by virtue of the actual measured values being compared to intended measured values and, depending on the result of the comparison, control commands being generated, wherein an actuating movement of the sensor is implemented by distances that are fractions of one of the dimensions of the sensor elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.