Slider mechanism and method of driving the same

Abstract

A slider mechanism includes two parallel guide rails, a first slider and a second slider constituted as separate members that are frictionally retained by and slidable along the guide rails, a first actuator for driving the first slider to change frictional force between it and the guide rails, a second actuator connecting the first and second sliders and adapted to move the second slider in the longitudinal direction of the guide rails, and a driving device for applying to the first actuator and second actuator a drive command that periodically produces a drive operation composed of four sequentially executed drive operation stages each consisting of a linear drive operation. A method of driving the slider mechanism includes a step of applying to the first actuator and second actuator a drive command that periodically produces a drive operation composed of four sequentially executed drive operation stages each consisting of a linear drive operation for operating the first actuator to change frictional force between the slider mechanism and the guide rails and operating the second actuator to move the second slider in the longitudinal direction of the guide rails.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.