LINEAR DRIVE

Abstract

The present invention relates to a linear drive, comprising: an actuator unit with at least one actuator; two guide elements and a movement element, wherein the movement element is displaceable along both guide elements by a movement generated by the actuator unit as a result of a stick-slip effect. In order to allow a more accurate displacement of the movement element in a compact design of the linear drive, according to the invention, the movement element can be brought into engagement with each of the two guide elements by means of static friction in order to be displaced along the two guide elements as a result of the stick-slip effect.

Claims

1. Linear drive, comprising: an actuator unit with at least one actuator; two guide elements; and a movement element, wherein the movement element is configured to be displaceable along both guide elements as a result of a stick-slip effect by a movement generated by the actuator unit, wherein the movement element is configured to be brought into engagement with each of the two guide elements by static friction in order to be displaced along both guide elements as a result of the stick-slip effect; and a closed frame, which surrounds the actuator unit, the two guide elements and the movement element, wherein each guide element is resiliently mounted with respect to the closed frame transverse to its direction of extension, so that each guide element is resiliently pretensioned in a direction of the movement element and forces act in different directions.

2. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the actuator unit is configured to cause both guide elements to move simultaneously and/or synchronously and/or along parallel trajectories.

3. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the movement element is, in a stress-free state of the actuator unit, engaged with each of the two guide elements by static friction.

4. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the actuator unit comprises: two actuators which each drive one of the two guide elements.

5. Linear drive according to claim 4, wherein the actuators are each arranged at one end of the guide elements and, with respect to a mid-plane that is perpendicular to a moving direction and bisects the guide elements in the moving direction, are arranged on a same side or on opposite sides.

6. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein each guide element and/or the movement element only has/have one translational degree of freedom.

7. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the movement element and the guide elements are coupled such that in a stick phase between each guide element and the movement element, contact forces are generated in different directions and symmetrically to one plane.

8. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein each guide element is configured as a cylinder and a trajectory of the guide element extends along an axis of the cylinder.

9. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the movement element receives each guide element in a separate channel-like seating, wherein the channel-like seating is embodied as a V-shaped groove which extends along a respective guide element and opens towards it.

10. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the closed frame has a cuboid outline.

11. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein each guide element is resiliently mounted with respect to the closed frame of the linear drive, in and/or transverse to its direction of extension, via at least one leaf spring.

12. Linear drive according to claim 10, wherein each guide element is mounted, via a sliding bearing at the closed frame in a sliding manner.

13. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein each guide element is resiliently pretensioned in a direction of the actuator unit.

14. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein a spring element is fixed to the movement element, and each guide element is received in a channel-like seating which is formed by a section of the movement element and a section of the spring element.

15. Linear drive according to claim 14, wherein each guide element has a peripheral section which is provided with a resistance material, and the spring element has slide segments which are each in electrically conductive contact with a peripheral section of the corresponding guide element.

16. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the closed frame and/or the movement element has/have a mechanical interface which is/are couplable to a mechanical interface of an identical linear drive, so that the travel ranges (X, Y, Z) of the linear drives coupled to each other extend in planes perpendicular with respect to each other.

17. Arrangement, comprising: two or three linear drives, wherein each of the linear drives is configured according to claim 1, wherein the linear drives are coupled to each other such that travel ranges (X, Y, Z) of the linear drives coupled to each other extend in two or three planes, respectively, perpendicular with respect to each other.

18. Method of determining a position of a movement element with a linear drive, the linear drive including: an actuator unit with at least one actuator; two guide elements; a movement element, wherein the movement is configured to be displaceable along both guide elements as a result of a stick-slip effect by a movement generated by the actuator unit, wherein the movement element is configured to be brought into engagement with each of the two guide elements by static friction in order to be displaced along both guide elements as a result of the stick-slip effect; and a closed frame, which surrounds the actuator unit, the two guide elements and the movement element, wherein each guide element is resiliently mounted with respect to the frame transverse to its direction of extension, so that each guide element is resiliently pretensioned in a direction of the movement element and forces act in different directions; wherein a spring element is fixed to the movement element, and each guide element is received in a channel-like seating which is formed by a section of the movement element and a section of the spring element; wherein each guide element has a peripheral section which is provided with a resistance material, and the spring element has slide segments which are each in electrically conductive contact with a peripheral section of the corresponding guide element; wherein the method comprises: detecting a resistance from one point (P) of the peripheral section of a guide element to a point (Q) of the peripheral section of the other guide element.

19. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein each guide element and/or the movement element only has/have one translational degree of freedom, wherein plural translational degrees of freedom of each guide element and/or the movement element are in parallel directions.

20. Linear drive according to claim 1, wherein the movement element is, in a stress-free state of the actuator unit, engaged with each of the two guide elements by means of static friction.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0034] In the drawing:

[0035] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the linear drive according to the invention.

[0036] FIG. 2 shows a perspective exploded view of the linear drive according to FIG. 1.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows in view (a) a plan view onto the linear drive according to FIG. 1, and in view (b) a section along line of FIG. 3(a).

[0038] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the movement element of the linear drive according to FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 5 shows various views of the movement element of the linear drive according to FIG. 1, and in particular in view (a) a schematic side view in a viewing direction in the intended direction of movement of the movement element, in view (b) a side view in a viewing direction perpendicular to the intended moving direction of the movement element, and in view (c) a plan view in a viewing direction perpendicular to the intended moving direction of the movement element.

[0040] FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of an arrangement A according to the invention, comprising two linear drives according to FIG. 1 whose movement elements are coupled to each other such that the linear drives generate movements in two planes perpendicular with respect to each other.

[0041] FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an arrangement B according to the invention, comprising the arrangement A according to FIG. 6 and a further linear drive according to FIG. 1 whose frame is coupled to the frame of a linear drive of the arrangement A such that the three linear drives of the arrangement B generate movements in altogether three planes perpendicular to each other.

[0042] FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of a second embodiment of the linear drive according to the invention.

[0043] FIG. 9 shows in view (a) a plan view onto the linear drive according to FIG. 8, and in view (b) a section along line IXb-IXb of FIG. 9(a).

[0044] FIG. 10 shows a perspective exploded view of the linear drive according to FIG. 8.

[0045] FIG. 11 shows in view (a) a plan view onto a linear drive according to a third embodiment, and in view (b) a section along line IXb-IXb of FIG. 11(a).

[0046] FIG. 12 shows a sectional view of the linear drive according to FIG. 11(a).

[0047] FIG. 13 shows in view (a) schematically a potentiometer function of the linear drive according to the third embodiment for determining the position of the movement element, and in view (b) exemplified numerical values which illustrate the potentiometer function.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EXEMPLIFIED EMBODIMENT

[0048] The inventive linear drive 1 according to the preferred exemplified embodiment of the invention comprises an actuator unit, consisting of a pair of piezoelectric multi-layer actuators 3a, 3b each with a guide element 4a, 4b attached thereto in the form of a cylindrical rod 4a, 4b of structural ceramics arranged in parallel within a frame 2.

[0049] The frame 2 is composed of a cuboid basic part 2a and a cuboid counterpart 2b approximately of the same size. The basic part 2a and the counterpart 2b are connected via two plate-like side parts 2c and 2d to form an approximately rectangular surrounding frame 2 with an essentially cuboid outline, as can be seen, for example, in FIG. 2.

[0050] The basic part 2a comprises, on an upper side visible in FIG. 3(a) and preferably also at a side face facing away from the counterpart 2b, two engagement sections 2a1 each formed as screw openings at a predetermined distance A1. The screw openings 2a1 act as standardised interface to mechanically couple the linear drive 1 with another identical linear drive 1, such that the two linear drives 1 perform movements in two planes perpendicular with respect to each other (X; Y). The frame 2 and its components are preferably made of plastics and/or metal and/or ceramics.

[0051] A pressure force is exerted, from two sides of the frame 2 by the side parts 2c, 2d formed as leaf spring via half bearings 2e, 2f, onto the guide elements 4a, 4b, and indirectly onto the movement element 5 arranged between the two guide elements 4a, 4b. The half bearings 2e, 2f are designed like a channel and each have a concave inner contour complementary to the cylindrical lateral area of the respective guide element 4a, 4b. The half bearings 2e, 2f support the guide elements 4a, 4b perpendicular to their direction of extension and movement and allow a sliding movement of the guide elements 4a, 4b in their direction of extension and movement. A bending of the guide elements 4a, 4b transverse to their direction of extension and movement, caused by the spread force of the inserted movement element 5, is thereby reduced or prevented, and a contact pressure between the movement element 5 and each of the guide elements 4a, 4b is increased.

[0052] The counterpart 2b preferably also has engagement sections (2a1) for coupling with an identical linear drive 1 corresponding to the basic part 2a. At the side facing the basic part 2a, the counterpart 2b comprises centrically an essentially cuboid projection to which a leaf spring 2g extending in a plane is attached. The two ends of the leaf spring 2g facing away from each other in the direction of extension here extend at a distance in parallel to the side of the counterpart 2b facing the basic part 2a and serve as resilient bearing sections for the axial ends of the two guide elements 4a, 4b.

[0053] The two drive units of the piezoelectric linear drive 1 have an identical design and each consist of a piezoelectric actuator 3a, 3b, and a guide element 4a, 4b coupled thereto. The piezoelectric actuator 3a, 3b is constructed in layers and has an approximately cubic design. The guide element 4a, 4b has a cylindrical shape with a diameter essentially corresponding to the edge length of the cubic actuator 3a, 3b. By applying an electric alternating voltage to the piezoelectric actuator 3a, 3b, the latter will be deformed such that the guide element 4a, 4b coupled thereto performs an oscillating movement along its axis of extension. The two guide elements 4a, 4b are oriented exactly in parallel with respect to each other and are caused to move synchronously with respect to each other by the associated actuators 3a, 3b. The end faces of the guide elements 4a, 4b facing away from the actuators 3a, 3b are each resiliently mounted by the leaf spring 2g at the counterpart 2b of the frame 2 and are pressed towards the respective actuator 3a, 3b by the leaf spring 2g.

[0054] In the assembled state according to FIG. 1, the end of the actuator 3a facing away from the guide element 4a is firmly connected to the basic part 2a of the frame 2. In contrast, the end of the actuator 3b facing away from the guide element 4b can be movably mounted on the frame 2 along the basic part 2a thereof. By a sliding or articulated mounting of an actuator 3b at the basic part 2a of the frame 2, a clamping by a tilting of the movement element 5 between the two guide elements 4a, 4b can be prevented.

[0055] In the present exemplified embodiment, the movement element 5 has an approximately cuboid design. It comprises, at the two smallest side faces, wedge-shaped seatings 5b in the form of channel-like V-grooves extending along the respective guide element 4a, 4b which are embodied, as is illustrated in FIG. 3(b), to receive the respective guide element 4a, 4b therein and be guided thereon with a stick-slip effect. At the two inner surfaces of the wedge-shaped seating 5b facing each other, there are three annular contact sections 5c in the form of friction clutches 5c of structural ceramics each serving as friction elements and alternatingly slipping and sticking, by the stick-slip effect, at the associated contact surface of the respective guide element 4a, 4b. As is illustrated in FIG. 5(c), the cuboid shape of the movement element 5 is interrupted by two projections 5d which extend at opposite sides of the movement element 5 along the intended moving direction of the movement element 5. Between the upper side visible in FIG. 5(c) and the bottom side of the movement element 5 facing away therefrom, through bores or screw openings extend which are embodied as engagement sections 5e, 5f for coupling the linear drive 1 with a further identical linear drive 1. The diameters and distances of these engagement sections 5e and 5f, respectively, are identical, however offset with respect to each other by 90°. Via these engagement sections 5e, 5f, two identical linear drives 1 can be coupled to each other such that their travel ranges extend along two axes (X, Y; cf. FIG. 5) in two planes arranged perpendicular with respect to each other.

[0056] In order to displace the movement element 5 along the travel range between the basic part 2a and the counterpart 2b, an electric alternating voltage is applied to the actuator unit 3, such that both guide elements 4a, 4b are caused to move synchronously and in parallel with respect to each other. The acceleration of the two guide elements 4a, 4b is sufficiently small in the stick phase, so that the stick engagement between the movement element 5 and each of the two guide elements 4a, 4b is maintained and the movement element 5 follows the movement of the guide elements 4a, 4b. Consequently, the movement element 5 undergoes an advance along its travel range. By changing the control voltage applied to the actuators 3a, 3b, the moving direction of the guide elements 4a, 4b can be abruptly reversed, such that the movement element 5 moves slidingly along the two guide elements 4a, 4b in a slip phase. In the slip phase, the inertial force of the movement element 5 is larger than the static friction force between the movement element 5 and the two guide elements 4a, 4b.

[0057] The engagement structure between the movement element 5 and the two guide elements 4a, 4b here replaces a separate guide means since both the guide elements 4a, 4b and the movement element 5 only have one translational degree of freedom, while the other two translational degrees of freedom and all rotational degrees of freedom of both guide elements 4a, 4b and of the movement element 5 are blocked.

[0058] The linear drive 1 operates according to the inertial drive principle. To obtain movements with a plurality of degrees of freedom (DOF), a plurality of linear drives 1 can be attached one upon the other, as is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0059] In the arrangement A according to FIG. 6, two linear drives 1 according to the invention are coupled to each other via respective engagement sections (5e, 5f) of the movement elements 5, such that the travel ranges of the two linear drives 1 extend along two axes X, Y in two planes arranged perpendicularly with respect to each other (leaving the thickness of the linear drives 1 out of consideration).

[0060] In the arrangement B according to FIG. 7, which is based on the arrangement A according to FIG. 6, a further linear drive 1 according to the invention is coupled with its basic part (2a) to the basic part (2a) of a linear drive 1 of the arrangement A, so that the altogether three linear drives 1 extend along three axes X, Y, Z in three planes arranged perpendicularly with respect to each other (leaving the thickness of the linear drives 1 out of consideration).

[0061] With the linear drive 1 according to the invention, multiaxially displaceable precision positioning means can be particularly easily and cheaply manufactured.

[0062] In the second embodiment of the linear drive 1 according to the invention, which will be described below with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, the frame parts 2a, 2b and 2c are embodied in one piece, different to the first embodiment, and form a C-shaped frame element which is connected with the strip- or plate-like side part 2d to form a rectangle or square. Here, the C-shaped frame element 2a, 2b and 2c is essentially embodied to be rigid and unyielding, while the pretension on the guide elements 4a, 4b and the movement element 5 arranged therebetween is applied by the side part 2d screwed to the C-shaped frame part 2a, 2b, and 2c, the side part 2d acting as a leaf spring.

[0063] Equally different to the first embodiment, the leaf spring 2g is embodied, for axially pretensioning the guide elements 4a, 4b in their directions of extension, as an H-shaped spring element whose two long legs extend in planes offset from each other by 90°, the short leg located centrically between the long legs being bent by 90°. Here, a long leg of the H-shaped spring element is screwed to the upper side of the frame part 2b via engagement sections or screw openings correspondingly provided for this purpose, with bolts, while the part of the leaf spring 2g pretensioning the guide elements 4a, 4b extends in parallel to the inner side of the frame part 2b facing the actuators 3a, 3b.

[0064] A third embodiment of the linear drive 1 according to the invention is represented in FIGS. 11 and 12. Similar to the first embodiment, the frame 2 is composed of a cuboid basic part 2a and a similar, preferably identical, counterpart 2b. The basic part 2a and the counterpart 2b are connected to each other via two leaf springs 2h, 2i which are preferably fixed to the basic part 2a and the counterpart 2b by threaded joints. A seating element 8a, 8b, which approximately has the same dimensions as the basic part 2a or the counterpart 2b, respectively, is fixed each to the basic part 2a and to the counterpart 2b, such that both seating elements 8a, 8b are opposed to each other within the frame 2. The attachment to the basic part 2a or to the counterpart is here preferably done via a threaded joint. The preferably identical seating elements 8a, 8b consist of an electrically non-conductive, preferably polymer-based material, and each have two through-holes 8a1, 8a2, 8b1, 8b2, in which the guide elements 4a, 4b are received and which serve as a sliding bearing.

[0065] A through-hole 8a1, 8b2 of each seating element 8a, 8b is designed such that the actuator 3a, 3b fixed to the respective guide element 4a, 4b can be additionally received therein, wherein an end face of the actuator 3a, 3b facing away from the respective guide element 4a, 4b is in contact with the basic part 2a or the counterpart 2b, respectively. In this embodiment, an actuator 3a is received in a through-hole 8a1 of the seating element 8a which is connected to the basic part 2a, and the other actuator 3b is received in a through-hole 8b2 of the seating element 8b which is connected to the counterpart 2b. Consequently, the actuators 3a, 3b are located diagonally opposed with respect to the frame 2.

[0066] Due to the leaf springs 2h, 2i which connect the basic part 2a and the counterpart 2b with each other, the guide elements 4a, 4b are pressed against their corresponding actuators 3a, 3b.

[0067] The movement element 5 is preferably provided with a spring element 6 in the form of a leaf spring via a threaded joint 7. The spring element 6 extends perpendicularly to the moving direction and protrudes beyond the side faces of the movement element 5 arranged in parallel to the moving direction such that each guide element 4a, 4b is received in a channel-like seating, which is received by a side face of the movement element 5 and a section of the spring element 6 which protrudes beyond the movement element 5. In particular, here, the side faces of the movement element 5 are embodied inclined to the main surfaces of the movement element 5 and provided with one or more contact sections 5c. Equally, the corresponding sections of the spring element are each provided with a contact section 6c, such that each guide element 4a, 4b is contacted directly via the contact sections 5c, 6c which serve as friction elements. By selecting various materials, dimensions and/or attachment points of the spring element 6, the contact pressure on the guide elements 4a, 4b can be varied.

[0068] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a peripheral segment 4a1, 4b1 of each guide element 4a, 4b is provided with a resistance material. The spring element 6 of the movement element 5 has, at its outer ends, slide sections 6a which are in electrically conductive contact with the peripheral sections 4a1, 4b1 of the guide elements 4a, 4b. The spring element 6 itself is also designed to be electrically conductive. In this manner, a potentiometer can be realised by which the position of the movement element 5 can be determined, as is illustrated in FIG. 13 by way of example. In particular, the peripheral sections 4a1, 4b1 of the guide elements 4a, 4b have different resistance values R1, R2 for this purpose. Due to the different resistance values R1, R2, the resistance R.sub.PQ changes from one point P of the peripheral section 4a1 of the guide element 4a to a point Q of the peripheral section 4b1 of the other guide element 4b with the position of the movement element 5.

[0069] FIG. 13(a) schematically shows the preferred design of the potentiometer by which the position of the movement element 5 can be determined. To determine this position, one has to detect the electric resistance R.sub.PQ between the points P and Q which are located on opposite sides of one plane which extends through the movement element 5 and perpendicular to the moving direction. The position of the movement element 5 is indicated as normalised position a which can assume values between 0 and 1 and changes with the position of the movement element 5. The value 0 here preferably corresponds to a front end position of the movement element 5 where the movement element 5 is in contact with the seating element 8a, and the value 1 to a rear end position where the movement element 5 is in contact with the seating element 8b.

[0070] In this configuration, the resistance R.sub.PQ is calculated according to the following formula: R.sub.PQ=αR.sub.1+(1−αR.sub.2).

[0071] FIG. 13(b) shows, by way of example, the resistance values R.sub.PQ in response to the normalised position a of the movement element 5 with the assumption that R1 is 10 kΩ and R2 is 40 kΩ. By the detection of the resistance value R.sub.PQ, one can consequently calculate the position of the movement element 5.

[0072] The inventive linear drives 1 according to the second and third inventive embodiments are couplable in the same way as the linear drives 1 according to the first inventive embodiment to form multiaxially displaceable arrangements. In contrast to the first and third inventive embodiments, the linear drive 1 according to the second inventive embodiment, however, has altogether fewer individual parts and a stabler basic construction, such that the freedom of motion of the individual components, in particular of the two guide elements 4a, 4b, is further restricted, and altogether, an even more precise positioning of the movement element 5 between the guide elements 4a, 4b can be achieved.

[0073] In the second and third inventive embodiments, similar elements are provided with the same reference numerals as in the first inventive embodiment. In order to avoid repetitions, a separate description of equally acting elements is omitted.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0074] 1 piezoelectric linear drive

[0075] 2 frame

[0076] 2a basic part

[0077] 2a1 engagement section(s) or screw openings in the basic part

[0078] 2b counterpart

[0079] 2c, d side part(s) or leaf spring(s)

[0080] 2e, f coupling section(s) or half bearing(s)

[0081] 2g leaf spring

[0082] 2h, i leaf spring

[0083] 3 actuator unit

[0084] 3a, b actuator(s)

[0085] 4a, b guide element(s)

[0086] 4a1, 4b1 peripheral sections of the guide elements 4a, 4b

[0087] 5 movement element

[0088] 5a body

[0089] 5b seating(s)

[0090] 5c contact section(s)

[0091] 5d projection

[0092] 5e engagement section(s) or screw openings in the movement element

[0093] 5f engagement section(s) or screw openings in the movement element

[0094] 6 spring element

[0095] 6a slide section(s)

[0096] 6c contact section(s)

[0097] 7 threaded joint

[0098] 8a, b seating element

[0099] 8a1, 8a2 through-hole of the seating 8a

[0100] 8b1, 8b2 through-hole of the seating 8b

[0101] A1 distance of the screw openings in the basic part

[0102] A2 distance of the screw openings in the movement element

[0103] B moving direction of the guide elements