Rotational stop
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorRoger S. Kerr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A rotational stop that includes: a lead screw having a longitudinal axis, a motor integrally mounted to the lead screw, wherein the motor provides rotation to the lead screw; a slide mounted to a support structure to provide movement relative to the lead screw longitudinal axis; a rotational control plate attached to the motor and having a plurality of protrusions extending from the rotational control plate, and; a rotational control guide having a rotational control surface on its face, wherein the rotational control surface is in intimate contact with the plurality of protrusions extending from the rotational control plate such that linear error is substantially reduced.
Claims11
A rotational stop, comprising:
- a) a lead screw having a longitudinal axis;
- b) a motor integrally mounted to the lead screw, wherein the motor provides rotation to the lead screw;
- c) a slide mounted to a support structure to provide movement relative to the lead screw longitudinal axis;
- d) a rotational control plate attached to the motor and having a plurality of protrusions extending from the rotational control plate;
- and
- e) a rotational control guide having a rotational control surface on its face, wherein the rotational control surface is in intimate contact with the plurality of protrusions extending from the rotational control plate such that linear error is substantially reduced.
A method for reducing linear error in a linear translation subsystem, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing rotational control with a rotation control plate having ball bearings and attached to a linear drive motor;
- b) means for enabling the ball bearings to make contact with a rotational control surface of a rotational control guide;
- c) means for loading the rotational control plate to the rotational control guide with at least one load magnet;
- and
- d) providing a ball slide that in combination with the ball bearings constrains the linear drive motor within one degree of freedom and reduces linear error of the linear translation subsystem.
A method for reducing linear error in a linear translation subsystem, comprising the steps of:
- a) providing rotational control with a rotational control plate having ball bearings and attached to a linear drive motor;
- b) means for enabling the ball bearings to make contact with a rotational control surface of a rotational control stage;
- c) means for loading the rotational control plate to the rotational control stage with at least one load magnet;
- and
- d) providing a three-plane mount that in combination with the ball bearings constrains the linear drive motor within one degree of freedom and reduces linear error of the linear translation subsystem.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.