Micro-positioning device

A micro-positioning device adapted for movement along a guideway, the device having:

• a frame having first and second opposing ends and a middle portion positioned therebetween;
• at least three actuators, two of said at least three actuators being attached to the frame at the first and second ends thereof respectively, one of said at least three actuators being positioned in the middle portion of the frame, said at least three actuators being adapted for activation and de-activation in synchronism to achieve a linear displacement of the device in a direction of travel along the guideway;
• at least two clamps, each of said at least two clamps being positioned respectively at the first and second ends of the frame and operably connected respectively to the actuators positioned at the opposing ends, each of said at least two clamps being adapted for clamping to the guideway upon activation of the actuator connected thereto respectively and for releasing upon de-activation thereof;
• and
• at least one hydraulic booster attached to the frame and connected to said middle actuator, said at least one hydraulic booster being adapted for converting mechanical energy into hydraulic energy when the middle actuator is activated and converting said hydraulic energy into mechanical energy to modify the displacement.

A micro-positioning device adapted for movement in a direction of travel along a guideway, the device having:

• a frame having first and second opposing ends and a middle portion positioned therebetween;
• at least first and second actuators attached to the frame at the first and second ends of the frame respectively, each of said first and second actuators having a clamp operably connected thereto respectively adapted for clamping to the guideway upon activation of said actuator connected thereto respectively and for releasing upon de-activation thereof;
• at least one middle actuator attached to the frame in the middle portion thereof;
• said at least three actuators being adapted for activation and de-activation in synchronism to achieve a displacement in the direction of travel;
• and
• at least one hydraulic booster attached to the frame and operably connected to the middle actuator, said at least one hydraulic booster being adapted for converting mechanical energy into hydraulic energy when the middle actuator is activated and converting said hydraulic energy into mechanical energy to modify the displacement.

A micro-positioning device adapted for incremental movement along a guideway, the device having:

• a frame;
• at least one actuator coupled to the frame, said at least one actuator being activatable to an activated state, in which said at least one actuator has an activated configuration, and de-activatable to a de-activated state, in which said at least one actuator has a de-activated configuration, the activated configuration and the de-activated configuration differing substantially from each other;
• and
• at least one clamp operable between a clamped state, in which said at least one clamp is clamped to the guideway to maintain the micro-positioning device stationary relative to the guideway, and a released state, in which the device is movable relative to the guideway;
• said at least one clamp being operably coupled to said at least one actuator such that, upon activation of said at least one actuator, said at least one clamp is in the clamped state, and upon de-activation of said at least one actuator, said at least one clamp is in the released state;
• and
• at least one hydraulic booster coupled to the frame and connected to said at least one actuator, said at least one hydraulic booster being adapted to convert a first amount of mechanical energy into hydraulic energy and to convert hydraulic energy into a second amount of mechanical energy upon activation of said at least one actuator to result in a displacement of the device along the guideway, the first amount and the second amount of mechanical energy differing substantially from each other.

A micro-positioning device for incremental movement along a guideway, the device having:

• a frame having first and second opposing ends and a middle portion positioned therebetween;
• at least three actuators, two of said at least three actuators being coupled to the frame at first and second ends thereof respectively, one of said at least three actuators being a middle actuator positioned in the middle portion;
• each of said at least three actuators being activatable to an activated state, in which each said actuator has an activated configuration;
• one of said actuators being a first actuator positioned at the first end of the frame and another of said actuators being a second actuator positioned at the second end of the frame;
• at least two clamps, each of said at least two clamps being operable between a clamped state, in which said clamp is clamped to the guideway to maintain the micro-positioning device stationary relative to the guideway, and a released state, in which the device is movable relative to the guideway;
• each of said at least two clamps being coupled to one of the first and second actuators respectively such that, upon activation of one of said actuators, each said clamp is in the clamped state, and upon de-activation of said respective actuator, each said clamp is in the released state;
• said at least three actuators being adapted for activation and de-activation in synchronism to achieve a linear displacement of the device in a direction of travel along the guideway;
• at least one hydraulic booster coupled to the frame and positioned between said middle actuator and said second actuator;
• and
• said at least one hydraulic booster being adapted to convert mechanical energy resulting from the activation of the first actuator and the middle actuator in series into hydraulic energy and converting said hydraulic energy into mechanical energy to modify the displacement.

A micro-positioning device adapted for movement in a direction of travel along a guideway, the device having:

• a frame having first and second opposing ends and a middle portion positioned therebetween;
• at least first and second actuators attached to the frame at the first and second ends of the frame respectively, each of said first and second actuators having a clamp operably connected thereto respectively adapted for clamping to the guideway upon activation of said actuator connected thereto respectively and for releasing upon de-activation thereof;
• at least one middle actuator attached to the frame in the middle portion thereof;
• said at least three actuators being adapted for activation and de-activation in synchronism to achieve a displacement in the direction of travel;
• and
• at least one hydraulic booster attached to the frame, said at least one hydraulic booster including:
• a housing having an inner cavity;
• a fluid in the inner cavity;
• the housing having an input portion connected to said at least one middle actuator;
• the input portion having an input contact area in communication with the fluid, the input portion being adapted to convert mechanical energy imparted from said at least one middle actuator into fluid energy in the fluid;
• the housing having an output portion with an output contact area in communication with the fluid, the output portion being adapted to convert fluid energy in the fluid to mechanical energy;
• the input contact area differing substantially from the output contact area,
• whereby, upon activation of said at least one middle actuator, mechanical energy is imparted to the input portion and converted to fluid energy and fluid energy is converted by the output portion into mechanical energy to modify the displacement.

A micro-positioning device adapted for displacement in at least one direction of travel, the device including:

• a frame;
• at least one actuator attached to the frame and adapted for activation and -de-activation in sequence to effect said displacement;
• and
• at least one hydraulic booster attached to the frame and operably connected to said at least one actuator, said at least one hydraulic booster being adapted for converting mechanical energy into hydraulic energy and converting said hydraulic energy into mechanical energy upon activation of said at least one actuator to modify the displacement.