JPS62219010A - Fine adjustment mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a small-sized fine adjustment mechanism which has a high precision and is capable of quick positioning, by providing first and second spring supporting base between a fixed base and a moving base and connecting them with the first - fourth parallel flat springs so that the moving base can move only the first or the second spring supporting base independently in X and Y directions. CONSTITUTION:When a mobile body 12 of an X axis-direction linear actuator 11 displaces the second spring supporting base 4 in the X-axis direction, the second spring supporting base 4 is displaced in the X-axis direction while keeping the parallel state, and moving base 2 is displaced in the X-axis direction by the same extent because the fourth flat spring 8 has a high rigidity in the X direction. Through the second parallel flat spring 6 is bent in accordance with movement of the moving base 2 to allow a force to act upon the first spring supporting base 3 in the X-axis direction, the first spring supporting base 3 is not moved in the X-axis direction because the first parallel flat spring 5 has a high rigidity in the X-axis direction. When a mobile body 10 of a Y axis-direction linear actuator pushes the first spring supporting base 3, the moving base 2 is moved in the Y-axis direction by this movement not to have an influence upon the second spring supporting base 4 similarly. That is, one moving base 2 is moved in X-axis and Y-axis directions independently by two actuators 9 and 11.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a fine movement mechanism used for alignment of optical fibers, etc.

[Conventional technology]

An example of a conventional device of this type is shown in FIG. This device has a lower table 31. Intermediate table 32° Upper table 3
Consists of 3. In the figure, the three are drawn separately to make the explanation easier to understand. The lower table 31 has a V-shaped groove 35.36 for guiding the steel ball 34, and the back surface of the intermediate table 32 has a V-shaped groove 37.38 at a position opposite to the V-shaped groove 35.36. A V-shaped groove 39.40 for guiding the steel ball 34 is provided on the surface thereof, and a V-shaped groove 41.42 is provided on the back surface of the upper table 33 at a position opposite to the V-shaped groove 39.40. It is being

Therefore, with respect to the lower table 31, the intermediate table 3
2 is movable smoothly in the Y direction, and intermediate table 3
2, the upper table 33 can be smoothly moved in the X direction.

On the other hand, the actuator fixing base 43 is mounted on the lower table 31.
However, the intermediate table 32 has an actuator fixing base 44.
45 is on the upper table 33.

Actuator fixing bases are provided respectively, and a Y-axis near actuator 47 is fixed between the actuator fixing bases 43 and 44, and an X-axis near actuator 48 is fixed at both ends between the actuator fixing bases 45 and 46. ing.

Therefore, by expanding and contracting the X-axis near actuator 48 and the Y-axis near actuator 47, the upper table 33 can be arbitrarily moved with respect to the lower table 31 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions.

In the conventional X-Y fine movement mechanism configured in this way, the Y-axis near actuator 47 is connected to the intermediate table 32.
Since the upper table 33 is moved through the upper table 33, there is a problem in that the inertial load becomes large, making it difficult to perform high-speed starting and stopping operations.

Furthermore, since the relative movement of each table is caused by the rolling of the steel balls 34, the frictional resistance is extremely small, but in order to achieve positioning accuracy of 1 gm or less, it is necessary to further reduce the frictional resistance.

In order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, there has been previously proposed a moving mechanism, as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 59-208335, which uses a leaf spring as a guide mechanism and is movable independently of each other in two axial directions.

FIG. 6 shows the moving mechanism proposed for the above-mentioned light. In this diagram,
The moving table 51 has two pairs of parallel leaf springs 52, 53 and 54,55.
is supported by The other ends of the parallel plate springs 52 and 53 are connected to the Y-axis actuator 58 via the support 56, and the other ends of the parallel plate springs 54 and 55 are connected to the X-axis actuator 59 via the support 57.

The support body 56 is supported by parallel leaf springs 52.53 and parallel leaf springs 60, 61 perpendicular thereto, and the support body 57 is supported by parallel leaf springs 54.55 and parallel leaf springs 52.53 perpendicular thereto. is supported by Parallel leaf spring 60,6
1 and the other ends of the parallel plate springs 62 and 63, and the other ends of the Y-axis actuator 58 and the X-axis actuator 59 are all connected to the substrate 64.

Now, in such a structure, the Y-axis actuator 5
8 is extended, the movable table 51 and the support body 56 are supported by parallel plate springs 54.55 and 60.61, respectively, and thus move in parallel to the Y-axis direction. On the other hand, since the parallel plate springs 82 and 83 have high rigidity in the Y-axis direction, they move together. Similarly, the moving table 51 moves integrally in the X-axis direction as the X-axis actuator 59 expands and contracts.

That is, each moving table 51 has a Y-axis actuator 5.
8. It can be seen that they faithfully follow the movement of the x-axis actuator 59 and are not interfered with by the movement of the other.

In this way, the moving table 51 has an X-axis and a Y-axis actuator 5.
9.58, it can be moved arbitrarily in the X-axis and Y-axis directions, so for example, by fixing the hand 65 to this moving table 51 and having it grip the optical fiber cable 66, the optical fiber cable supported by the fixed table 67 can be moved. By facing the cable 68, both optical fiber cables 66, 68 can be accurately aligned.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Since the above-mentioned moving mechanism is arranged in a planar manner, there is a drawback that the guide portion is large compared to the size of the moving portion.

The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a small fine movement mechanism capable of highly accurate positioning and high-speed positioning.

[Means for solving problems]

The fine movement mechanism according to the present invention has a first movable mechanism between a movable base and a fixed base. A second spring support is installed, the first spring support and the fixed base are connected by the first parallel spring, the first spring support and the moving base are connected by the second parallel spring, and the second spring support is connected to the fixed base by the first parallel spring. The spring support base and the fixed base are connected by a third parallel spring, the second spring support base and the movable base are connected by a fourth parallel spring, and these first and fourth parallel springs and the second ．． The third parallel springs are arranged at right angles to each other, and are provided with actuators that apply forces in directions orthogonal to each of the first and second spring supports.

[Effect]

In this invention, when the first spring support base is moved by the actuator, the movable base moves regardless of the second spring support base, and when the second spring support base is moved by the actuator, the first spring support base is moved. The moving table moves regardless of the

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a fixed base, 2 is a movable base, and 3 and 4 are intermediate first and second spring support bases. The above four tables are arranged parallel to each other and connected to each other by leaf springs.

That is, the fixed base 1 and the first spring support base 3 are supported by the first parallel leaf springs 5 on two opposing sides, that is, on both sides. The first parallel leaf spring 5 has the same shape on both sides, is arranged in a symmetrical position with respect to the fixed base 1 and the first spring support base 3, and is fixed at both ends by adhesive or screwing.

Next, the fixed base 1 and the first spring support base 4 are supported by the third parallel leaf spring 7, and the movable base 2 and the second spring support base 3 are supported by the second parallel leaf spring 6. At this time, the second parallel leaf spring 6 can be inserted into the second spring support base 4, and the through hole 4A is large enough to prevent contact within a certain range with respect to movement in the X direction.
are arranged on both sides A (only one side is visible in FIG. 1). Furthermore, the movable table 2 and the second spring support table 4 are similarly supported by a fourth parallel plate spring 8. 1st
The parallel leaf spring 5 and the fourth parallel leaf spring 8 are in a parallel state, and the second parallel leaf spring 6 and the third parallel leaf spring 7 are also in a parallel state. On the other hand, the first parallel plate spring 5 and the second parallel plate spring 6 are installed at right angles. Therefore, the third parallel leaf spring 7 and the fourth parallel leaf spring 8 also form a right angle.

Furthermore, the movable body 10 of the Y-axis linear actuator 9 is mounted on the first spring support 3, and the movable body 10 of the Y-axis direction linear actuator 9 is mounted on the first spring support 3, and the
A movable body 12 of an axial linear actuator 11 is connected.

The housing of each linear actuator 9.11 is supported by an arm (not shown) extending from the fixed base 1. Each linear actuator 9.11 may be a DC motor type or a step motor type. Second spring support 3
, 4 may be used as long as it generates a force that moves them.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained, but first the principle will be explained with reference to FIG.

The lower plate 13 and the upper plate 14 are supported in parallel by two leaf springs 15,16. Further, each leaf spring is also configured to be parallel to each other. Now, fix the lower plate 13 and
The two leaf springs that apply a force in the X direction to 4 are deformed as shown by dotted lines. The deformation at this time is the upper plate 14 and the lower plate 13.
remain parallel, and are deformed only in the X direction and not in the Y direction. This is because the leaf spring has high rigidity in the Y direction. Also, although there is a slight movement in the Z direction, the value is negligible compared to the movement in the X direction. The principle of the present invention is that the parallel plate spring structure constructed in this manner can resist a force in the X direction and can realize displacement only in the X direction.

Now, in Fig. 1, the X-axis direction linear actuator 1
When the first movable body 12 displaces the second spring support 4 in the X-axis direction, the second spring support 4 is displaced in the X-axis direction while maintaining a parallel state, but the fourth leaf spring 8 Since the rigidity is high in the X direction, the moving table 2 is also displaced in the X axis direction by the same amount at the same time. As the moving table 2 moves, the second parallel leaf spring 6 is bent and exerts a force on the first spring support base 3 in the X-axis direction, but the first parallel leaf spring 5 has high rigidity in the X-axis direction. For,
There is no movement of the first spring support base 3 in the X-axis direction. Similarly Y
When the movable body 1o of the axial linear actuator pushes the first spring support 3, the movement becomes a movement of the movable base 2 in the Y-axis direction, and does not affect the second spring support 4. One movable table 2 can be moved in the x and y axis directions independently of each other by the seven actuators 9.11.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention, in which a piezo element is used as the actuator. The configuration of the leaf spring is the same as in the first embodiment, so it will not be described here, but the piezo element 17 is connected to the arm 19 extending from the fixed base 1.
Similarly, the piezo element 18 is installed between the arm 20 extending from the fixed base 1 and the spring support base 4. The expansion and contraction of the piezo elements 17 and 18 causes the moving table 2
This is the same as in the case of the first embodiment. Piezo elements 17 and 18 are also a type of linear actuator mentioned above, but compared to the DC motor type,
Although the moving distance is not large, very fine positioning is possible.

FIG. 4 shows a third embodiment of the invention. Whereas in the second embodiment the piezo elements 17,18 are arranged outside the structure, here they are arranged inside. The arrangement of the parallel plate springs 5, 6, 7.8 is the same as in the first embodiment, and will therefore be omitted. In this embodiment, a column 21 is arranged approximately in the center of the fixed base 1, and piezo elements 22, 23 are fixed thereon. One end of the piezo element 22 is attached to the column 21, and the other end is attached to the first spring support 3.13 (
(omitted in FIG. 4). Further, one end of the piezo element 23 is fixed to the support column 21, and the other end is fixed to the second spring support base 4. Needless to say, the center portion of the second spring support base 4 has been removed so that the support column 21 and the piezo element 23 can be inserted therein. The same applies to the spring support base 3. The piezo elements 22 and 23 are expanded and contracted by moving the moving table 2 to 2 in the same way as in Embodiments 1 and 2.
It is clear that the movement will be in the axial direction.

In addition, 1. The second spring supports 3 and 4 may be made of plates or have a hole in the center thereof as required, and are not necessarily made of plates, but may be made by bending each piece or plate material into four corners. In short, any shape is sufficient as long as it can fix each of the parallel leaf springs 5 to 8.

In each of the above embodiments, the moving table 2 is moved by a small distance by the actuator 10.11, but if a deviation detector such as a differential transformer is provided in place of the actuator 10.11, the moving table 2 can be moved by a small distance. It is also possible to detect the amount of movement of 2 by separating it into two directions, x and Y, and it can be used as a detector for a two-dimensional shape measuring device.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, in the present invention, the first base plate is provided between the fixed base and the movable base. A second spring support is installed, and a second spring support is installed between them.
- The moving table is connected to the fourth parallel plate spring so that only the first or second spring support can move independently in the X and Y directions, so the two actuators can drive the two axes independently of each other. Since the movable table can be moved in the same direction and no frictional resistance is applied, the positioning accuracy is high and downsizing is possible. Furthermore, it has the advantage of being able to move at high speed because the weight of the moving parts can be reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the operating principle of the invention,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a perspective view similarly showing a third embodiment, FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing a conventional fine movement table, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the previously proposed moving mechanism. In the figure, 1 is a fixed base, 2 is a movable base, 3.4 is the first and second spring support base, 5, 6, 7.8 are the first to fourth parallel leaf springs, and 9 is the Y-axis direction A linear actuator, 10 is a movable body,
11 is the linear axis in the X-axis direction.Figure 1Figure 2Figure 3Figure 4

Claims (1)

[Claims] The first and second
Both spring support stands are installed parallel to the fixed stand, the first spring support stand and the fixed stand are connected by a first parallel leaf spring, and the first spring support stand and the movable stand are connected to the first spring support stand and the movable stand. 1
A second parallel leaf spring is connected to the parallel leaf spring at right angles to the second parallel leaf spring, and the second spring support base and the fixing base are connected to the first parallel leaf spring.
A third parallel leaf spring connects the second spring support base and the movable base at a right angle to the second parallel leaf spring, and a fourth parallel leaf spring connects the second spring support base and the moving base at a right angle to the second parallel leaf spring. A fine movement mechanism characterized by the following.