Positioning apparatus and movement sensor
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsJohn P. Karidis, Gerard McVicker, Joseph P. Pawletko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A movement sensor for a multi-bar positioner includes a first section having a curved corner reflector (76), a second section (70), and a third section with an analog position-sensitive-photodiode (84). The second section (70) has three LEDs (72, 82) and four photodetectors (74). Two of the LEDs (72) and the four photodetectors (74) face a first direction towards the corner reflector (76). The third LED (82) faces a second direction, different than the first direction, towards the position-sensitive-photodiode (84). The second section can be mounted on an arm of the positioner and used in conjunction with the first and third sections to determine movement or position of that arm.
Claims17
A high speed multi-bar positioner comprising:
- a positioning linkage with a changeable parallelogram structure and a relatively stationary base structure;
- means for moving said parallelogram structure relative to said base structure to position an end-effector, connected to said parallelogram structure, to a desired position;
- and
- means for sensing movement of said parallelogram structure comprising an optical encoder including two infrared LEDs and four miniature photodetectors facing a first direction and being mounted to an arm of said parallelogram structure and, a corner reflector mounted to said base structure such that light from said LEDs can be directed to said corner reflector and redirected to said photodetectors.
A multi-bar positioner comprising:
- a positioning linkage having a parallelogram section with a variable shape;
- means for varying the shape of said parallelogram section;
- and
- means for sensing movement of said parallelogram section, said means for sensing comprising an optical encoder including at least two LEDs and at least four miniature photodetectors facing a first direction said LEDs and photodetectors being mounted to an arm or said parallelogram section, and a corner reflector separate from, but facing, said parallelogram section such that light from said LEDs can be directed to said corner reflector and redirected to said photodetectors.
A movement sensor comprising:
- a first section having a corner reflector;
- a second section having at least three LEDs and four photodetectors, two of said LEDs and said four photodetectors facing a first direction, and a third one of said LEDs facing a second direction different than said first direction;
- and
- a third section having a photodiode, said second section being movable relative to said first and third sections, said first section being located in a first path of said first direction and said third section being located in a second different path.
A movement sensor comprising:
- a first section having a corner reflector and a grid plate located in front of the corner reflector;
- and
- a second section movable relative to the first section, the second section having a source of light and four photodetectors, the source of light and the photodetectors all facing a first direction, the second section further including a reference phase-plate located in a path of light from the source of light, the path of light extending from the source of light to the corner reflector, through the grid plate, through the reference phase-plate, and to the photodetectors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.