Back to results
US 5,699,621 AGranted
Positioner with long travel in two dimensions
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsDavid L. Trumper, Mark E. Williams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsDavid L. Trumper, Mark E. Williams
Estimating the term…
A precision positioning system is provided which provides long travel in two of the linear dimensions, while using non-contact bearings for both a first subassembly which provides long travel in one of the linear dimension and a second subassembly which provides long travel in the second linear dimension. The first or upper subassembly is preferably a magnetic subassembly which, in addition to providing long travel, also compensates or positions in three rotary dimensions and in the third linear dimension. The second subassembly is preferably either an air bearing or magnetic subassembly and is normally used only to provide long travel. Angled surfaces may be provided for magnetic bearings and capacitive or other gap sensing probes may be mounted to the stage and ground flush with the bearing actuators to provide more precise gap measurements.
A positioning system for providing precise positioning of a stage in three linear and three rotary dimensions, with long travel in two linear ones of said dimensions comprising:
In a positioning system for a stage which utilizes magnetic bearings to control the position of the stage in at least selected dimensions, each of said magnetic bearings including a pair of bearing surfaces defining a bearing gap and an electromagnetic element positioned in and flush with the one of said bearing surfaces mounted to the stage, a probe mechanism for detecting bearing gap for at least selected ones of the bearings comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.