JPH0641787Y2 - XY stage - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to an XY stage including two tables that perform linear motion in directions orthogonal to each other.

[Prior art and its problems]

Conventionally, this type of XY stage converts a rotational movement into a linear movement by a twisting method, and a high level technique is required for manufacturing the screw in order to improve accuracy.

[Purpose of device]

The present invention is to provide an XY stage that can be easily manufactured without requiring advanced manufacturing technology.

[Constitution and effect of device]

To achieve this object, the present invention is an XY stage including two tables that can move linearly in directions orthogonal to each other, and two steel strips are fixed to each table at intervals. Another part of each strip is secured to a corresponding motor-driven drum so that when one of the strips winds around the drum, the other strip is unwound from the same drum. Of the table assembly, the winding and unwinding directions of the steel strip of one table assembly are orthogonal to the winding and unwinding directions of the steel strip of the other table assembly, and one table assembly is An XY stage is provided which is installed on a table assembly.

According to this configuration, the structure is simplified, the degree of freedom in selecting the positional relationship between the drive unit and the table is increased, and a compact, inexpensive, and highly accurate XY stage can be obtained.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotation axis of the motor driven drum of each table assembly is perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding table. In this case, there is no protrusion on the side surface of each table, and the XY stage can be made thinner.

Each steel strip may be an endless steel strip or a single steel strip having a certain length.

When each steel strip is a single steel strip, one end of the steel strip is connected to a drum or a table through a tension applying means, whereby tension adjustment and elongation correction during assembly can be easily performed.

〔Example〕

With particular reference to FIGS. 1-4, the XY stage shown here includes two tables 10, 12 which are vertically overlapped and movable in mutually orthogonal directions. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper table 10 is the X-axis table and the lower table 12 is the Y-axis table. The lower Y-axis table 12 has slides 16 engaged with two parallel guide rails 14 fixed to a machine fixing part (not shown), while X
Slides 20 are fixed to the lower surface of the shaft table 10, and these slides 20 engage with two parallel guide rails 18 fixed on the Y-axis table 12. Therefore, the Y-axis table 12 can move relative to the machine fixing portion, and the X-axis table 10 can move relative to the Y-axis table 12 in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction.

Located on the underside of the X-axis table 10 is an X-axis drive assembly 22, which includes an X-axis drive motor 24 and an X-axis drum 26 fixed to the output shaft of the motor. A speed reducer may be provided between the X-axis drive motor 24 and the X-axis drum 26. In the illustrated embodiment, two steel strips 28 are wound around the drum 26 of the X-axis drive assembly 22 so as to be parallel to each other. The other end is fixed to a part of the peripheral surface of the drum 26. The X-axis drive assembly 22 is fixed to the Y-axis table 12. Therefore, X-axis drive assembly
When the drive motor 26 of 22 rotates, one of the two steel strips 28 is wound around the drum 26, and the other steel strip is wound around the drum 26.
Will be paid out from. Thus, the drive motor 26
When rotating, the X-axis table 10 makes a linear movement in a certain direction.

A Y-axis drive assembly 32 having the same structure is arranged also on the lower surface of the Y-axis table 12, and this also includes two steel strips 30 whose one end is fixed to the lower surface of the Y-axis table 12. . The other ends of these steel strips 30 are fixed to the Y-axis drum 36 connected to the drive motor 34 of the Y-axis drive assembly 32, respectively, at positions separated along the rotation axis thereof, and are parallel to each other around the drum 36. Extends to. Therefore, when the drive motor 34 of the Y-axis drive assembly 32 rotates, one of the steel strips 30 is wound around the drum 36 and the other is unwound from the drum 36. The Y-axis table 12 will perform a linear movement. In addition, the winding and unwinding directions of the steel strip 30 of the Y-axis drive assembly 32 are orthogonal to the direction of the steel strip 28 of the X-axis drive assembly 22, and the Y-axis table 12 is the X-axis. Table 10
Will move linearly in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of. The Y-axis drive assembly 32 is fixed with respect to the Y-axis table 12, so that the Y-axis table 12 can move independently of the machine fixing part.

As in the illustrated embodiment, if the X-axis and Y-axis drive assemblies 22, 32 have a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the corresponding table plane, there is no protrusion on the side of the table, and It is preferable in terms of reducing the size.

As best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the steel strips 28 and 30 of the X-axis and Y-axis drive assemblies 22 and 32 are fixed to one end of the steel strips 28 and 30, respectively. Tension applying means 40 is attached to the end, and hereinafter, for convenience of description, only the tension applying means 40 of one steel strip 28 of the X-axis drive assembly 22 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. But,
It should be appreciated that all other tensioning means are of similar construction. The tension applying means 40 has a hollow portion 42 in the axial direction, and has a cylindrical main body portion 46 fixed to the lower surface of the X-axis table 10 with a set screw 44, and is slidable in the hollow portion 42 of the main body portion 46. And a fitted rod member (48). The rod member 48 has one end fixed to the steel strip 28 with a stop bolt 50, and the opposite end protruding in the opposite direction from the main body portion 46, and the opposite end is threaded, and the adjustment nut 52 is attached thereto. And the lock nut 54 are screwed together. A flange 56 is provided on the inner end of the rod member 48, and a coil-shaped compression spring 60 is installed between the flange 56 and the flange 58 on the outer end of the main body 46, and the lock nut 54 is provided. By loosening and rotating the adjusting nut 52, the rod member 48 can be moved under the elastic action of the compression spring 60, and the tension of the steel strip 28 can be adjusted. It is convenient.

Although the illustrated embodiment uses a single steel strip, it is also possible to use an endless steel strip, in which case it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that both ends of a certain length of the endless steel strip. Is preferably fixed to a table, and the remaining part is wound around the drum about once.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top view of an XY stage according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the XY stage of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view of the XY stage of FIG. 1 in another direction. FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the XY stage of FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a mechanism for applying tension to the steel strip of the X-axis drive assembly. FIG. 6 is a side view of the mechanism of FIG. In the drawing, 10 ... X-axis table, 12 ... Y-axis table, 14 ... Guide rail, 16 ... Slide, 18 ... Guide rail, 20 ... Slide, 22 ... X-axis drive assembly, 24
…… X-axis drive motor, 26 …… Drum, 28 …… Steel strip, 32 ・ ・ ・
... Y-axis drive assembly, 34 ... Y-axis drive drum, 36 ... drum, 40 ... tension applying means.

Claims (5)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An XY stage including two tables that can move linearly in directions orthogonal to each other, wherein two steel strips are fixed to each table with a space therebetween. Another part is fixed to the corresponding motor driven drum, and when one of these steel strips is wound around the drum, the other steel strip is paid out from the same drum. Including, the winding and unwinding direction of the steel strip of one table assembly is perpendicular to the winding and unwinding direction of the steel strip of the other table assembly, and one table assembly is on the other table assembly. An XY stage that is installed in the. 2. In the XY stage according to claim 1 of the utility model registration, the rotation axis of the motor driving drum of each table assembly is perpendicular to the plane of the corresponding table. XY stage characterized by. 3. An XY stage according to claim (1), wherein each steel strip is an endless steel strip. 4. An XY stage according to claim 1 of the utility model registration, wherein each steel strip has one end fixed to a table and the other end fixed to a drum. An XY stage characterized by being a steel strip. 5. The XY stage according to claim (4) of the utility model registration, wherein one end of each steel strip is connected to a table or a drum through a tension applying means. -Y stage.