Compact piezoelectric inertial drive stage
AssigneeThorlabs, Inc.
InventorsRenlong Gao, Guocheng Xu, Guobiao Wu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed is a piezoelectric inertial drive stage including a piezoelectric inertial driver, a slider and a holder. The driver includes a mounting portion for the mounting on the holder, a friction portion coupling to the slider, a flexure portion between the mounting portion and friction portion, a piezoelectric element with a first end bonded to the mounting portion and a second end bonded to a movement portion, the movement portion transferring the motion of the piezoelectric element to the friction portion to drive the slider.
Claims14
A piezoelectric inertial drive stage, comprising:
- a holder;
- a slider supported by the holder, the slider traveling on a smooth track with a travel range with respect to the holder;
- a piezoelectric inertial driver coupled to the holder and operable to move the slider;
- the piezoelectric inertial driver comprising:
- a mounting portion to connect the piezoelectric inertial driver to the holder;
- a friction portion configured to engage with the slider;
- a movement portion with a first end connected to a piezoelectric element and a second end connected to the friction portion;
- a piezoelectric element with a first end bonded to the mounting portion and a second end bonded to the movement portion;
- and
- a flexure portion with a first end connected to the mounting portion and a second end connected to the friction portion;
- wherein the flexure portion further comprises a plurality of connection rods with substantially parallel connections and separated by slots;
- wherein the movement portion transferring a motion of the piezoelectric element to the friction portion to drive the slider,
- wherein a ratio between a width of a slot and a width of a rod is in the range from 0.4 to 15.
A piezoelectric inertial driver comprising:
- a mounting portion to connect the piezoelectric inertial driver to a holder;
- a friction portion configured to engage with a slider;
- a movement portion with a first end connected to a piezoelectric element and a second end connected to the friction portion;
- a piezoelectric element with a first end bonded to the mounting portion and a second end bonded to the movement portion;
- and
- a flexure portion with a first end connected to the mounting portion and a second end connected to the friction portion;
- wherein the flexure portion further comprises a plurality of connection rods with substantially parallel connections and separated by slots;
- wherein the movement portion transferring a motion of the piezoelectric element to the friction portion to drive the slider,
- wherein a ratio between a width of a slot and a width of a rod is in the range from 0.4 to 15.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.