Counterforce mechanism and methods of operation thereof
AssigneeFives Landis Limited
InventorsMichael Pierse, Trevor Stolber
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A counterforce mechanism is arranged to exert a force on an object to maintain the object at a desired position. The mechanism comprises a driven body, a drive for moving the driven body, and a resilient coupling arrangement for coupling the driven body to a portion of an object. A control arrangement is arranged to output a drive signal to the driven body drive to move the driven body to a location where it exerts a force on the object via the coupling arrangement, such that the force counteracts an opposing force acting on the object and the mechanism holds the portion of the object at the desired position. A machine axis and a machine tool incorporating such a counterforce mechanism are also described, together with methods of operation thereof.
Claims25
A machine axis for a machine tool, comprising:
- a support for supporting a tool or a workpiece;
- a support drive for moving the support;
- and
- a counterforce mechanism comprising:
- a driven body;
- a drive for moving the driven body;
- a resilient coupling arrangement;
- a control arrangement, wherein the coupling arrangement couples the support and the driven body to each other, and the control arrangement is arranged to output a drive signal to the driven body drive to move the driven body to a location where it exerts a force on the support via the coupling arrangement, such that the force counteracts an opposing force acting on the support and the counterforce mechanism holds the support at the desired position,
- and the driven body is moveable along at least one guideway which guides the driven body in the direction of a linear reference axis and prevents rotation of the driven body relative to the linear reference axis of the guideway;
- and
- a safety mechanism for resisting a decrease in the spacing between the support and the driven body beyond a minimum threshold or for resisting an increase in the spacing between the support and the driven body beyond a maximum threshold.
A machine axis for a machine tool, comprising:
- a support for supporting a tool or a workpiece;
- a support drive for moving the support;
- and
- a counterforce mechanism comprising:
- a driven body;
- a drive for moving the driven body;
- a resilient coupling arrangement;
- a control arrangement, wherein the coupling arrangement couples the support and the driven body to each other, and the control arrangement is arranged to output a drive signal to the driven body drive to move the driven body to a location where it exerts a force on the support via the coupling arrangement, such that the force counteracts an opposing force acting on the support and the counterforce mechanism holds the support at a desired position, and wherein an axis of motion of the support is rotary;
- and
- a safety mechanism for resisting a decrease in the spacing between the support and the driven body beyond a minimum threshold or for resisting an increase in the spacing between the support and the driven body beyond a maximum threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.