Linear drive for precision positioning
AssigneePhysik Instrumente (Pi) GmbH & Co. KG
InventorBurhanettin Koc
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a linear drive, including: an actuator unit with at least one actuator; two guide elements and a movement element, wherein the movement element is displaceable along both guide elements by a movement generated by the actuator unit as a result of a stick-slip effect. In order to allow a more accurate displacement of the movement element in a compact design of the linear drive, the movement element can be brought into engagement with each of the two guide elements by static friction in order to be displaced along the two guide elements as a result of the stick-slip effect.
Claims20
A linear drive, comprising:
- an actuator unit with at least one actuator;
- two guide elements;
- a movement element, wherein the movement element is configured to be displaceable along both of the two guide elements as a result of a stick-slip effect by a movement generated by the actuator unit, wherein the movement element is configured to be brought into engagement with each of the two guide elements by static friction in order to be displaced along both of the two guide elements as a result of the stick-slip effect;
- and
- a closed frame, which surrounds the actuator unit, the two guide elements and the movement element, wherein each of the two guide elements is resiliently mounted with respect to the closed frame transverse to the direction of extension of the respective one of the two guide elements, so that each of the two guide elements is resiliently pretensioned in a direction of the movement element and forces act in different directions.
A method of determining a position of a movement element with a linear drive, the linear drive including:
- an actuator unit with at least one actuator;
- two guide elements;
- a movement element, wherein the movement is configured to be displaceable along both of the two guide elements as a result of a stick-slip effect by a movement generated by the actuator unit, wherein the movement element is configured to be brought into engagement with each of the two guide elements by static friction in order to be displaced along both of the two guide elements as a result of the stick-slip effect;
- and
- a closed frame, which surrounds the actuator unit, the two guide elements and the movement element, wherein each of the two guide elements is resiliently mounted with respect to the closed frame transverse to the direction of extension of the respective one of the two guide elements, so that each of the two guide elements is resiliently pretensioned in a direction of the movement element and forces act in different directions;
- wherein a spring element is fixed to the movement element, and each of the two guide elements is received in a channel-like seating which is formed by a section of the movement element and a section of the spring element;
- wherein each of the two guide elements has a peripheral section which is provided with a resistance material, and the spring element has slide segments which are each in electrically conductive contact with a peripheral section of the corresponding guide element;
- wherein the method comprises:
- detecting a resistance from one point (P) of the peripheral section of one of the two guide elements to a point (Q) of the peripheral section of the other guide element.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.