US 6,655,672 B2Granted

Air bearing drive system

AssigneeMitutoyo Corporation

InventorAtsushi Tsuruta

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Abstract

An air bearing drive system has a base, a moving portion, an air bearing for forming an air film gap between the base and the moving portion, air nozzles and a suction inlet. The air nozzles and suction inlet are formed on the base. The air nozzles blow air toward the moving portion so as to exert a levitation force on the moving portion. The suction inlet applies suction to the air film gap so as to attract the moving portion toward the base and thereby exert an attraction force on the moving portion. An air supplying device supplies air to the air nozzles. A vacuum source applies suction to the suction inlets. Two adjusting devices are adapted to adjust the levitation force produced by the air issuing from the air nozzles and the attraction force of air drawn into the suction inlet so as to provide an accurate and low cost air bearing drive system.

Claims10

Dependent claims

An air bearing drive system comprising:

a moving portion adapted for at least one of a rotational motion and a linear motion;
a base for supporting the moving portion;
an air bearing comprising an air film gap, between the base and the moving portion, for supporting the moving portion on the base;
at least one air nozzle, formed on the base and facing the moving portion, adapted to form the air film gap by blowing air toward the moving portion and thereby exerting a levitation force on the moving portion;
means for supplying air to the air nozzle;
at least one suction inlet, formed on the base and facing the moving portion, for exerting an attraction force on the moving portion so as to attract the moving portion toward the base;
means for attracting the moving portion toward the base via the suction inlet;
and
first and second adjusting means, said first adjusting means being adapted to adjust the levitation force produced by the air blowing from the air nozzle, and the second adjusting means being adapted to adjust the attraction force from the suction inlet.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/189,868Filed 3 Jul 2002
Priority: JP 2001-2051595 Jul 2001
Published: US 2003/0006756 A19 Jan 2003
Granted: 2 Dec 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

G01B 5/201
For measuring contours or curvatures: for measuring roundness
F16C 32/0614
Supported by a gas cushion, e.g. an air cushion: the gas being supplied under pressure, e.g. aerostatic bearings
F16C 32/0674
Of bearings adjustable for aligning, positioning, wear or play: by means of pre-load on the fluid bearings
F16C 32/0696
Construction or mounting aspects of hydrostatic bearings, for exclusively rotary movement, related to the direction of load: for both radial and…