A LINEAR MANIPULATOR FOR A PROGRAMMABLE STAGE INSTALLATION, A BODY FOR A LINEAR MANIPULATOR AND USE OF A LINEAR MANIPULATOR

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to, for example, a linear manipulator for a programmable stage installation. In one embodiment, the linear manipulator includes a body having an internal longitudinal channel extending parallel to an axis between two channel points, a power conductor positioned inside the channel, a drag band extending parallel to the axis, a motor that drives the drag band, and a wagon. The body further including a longitudinal opening extending between the two channel points, and a pair of rails connected to the body and extending parallel to the axis. The wagon including a pair of rail grippers for slidably engaging the pair of rails, a band connector connected to the drag band, and a power connector. The wagon attaches to equipment to be displaced along the linear manipulator and the power connector connects the equipment with the power conductor.

Claims

1. A linear manipulator for a programmable stage installation, the linear manipulator comprises: a body having an internal, longitudinal channel, the channel extending parallel to an axis between two channel points, a longitudinal opening extending between the two channel points, and a pair of rails connected to the body and extending parallel to the axis, a power conductor positioned inside the channel and configured and arranged to extend between the two channel points for providing power, a drag band extending parallel to the axis, a motor configured and arranged to drive the drag band, a wagon including a pair of rail grippers configured and arranged for slidably engaging the pair of rails, and a band connector connected to the drag band, the wagon configured and arranged for attachment with equipment to be displaced along the linear manipulator, the wagon further including a power connector configured and arranged for connecting the equipment to be moved with the power conductor, wherein the pair of rails and the drag band at least extend between the two channel points relative to the axis.

2. The linear manipulator according to claim 1, wherein the wagon further includes an internal part positioned inside the channel, the internal part being connected to an external part positioned outside the channel, the external part configured and arranged for attachment with the equipment to be displaced along the linear manipulator.

3. The linear manipulator according to claim 1, further including a signal conductor positioned inside the channel and configured and arranged for extending between the two channel points for providing a control signal, and the wagon further includes a signal connector configured and arranged for connecting the equipment to be moved with the signal conductor.

4. The linear manipulator of claim 1, further including one or more cable chains positioned inside the channel and configured and arranged to extend between the two channel points, and the power conductor being positioned inside the one or more cable chains and the one or more cable chains being connected to the wagon.

5. The linear manipulator of claim 1, wherein the channel includes one or more tracks extending at least between the two channel points, and the power conductor being one or more strips running along the one or more tracks at least between the two channel points.

6. The linear manipulator of claim 2, wherein the wagon further includes a conduit through the bottom of the internal part to the external part, the conduit configured and arranged to receive one or more cables connected to the power conductor and/or a signal conductor and the wagon configured and arranged at the external part for connecting with the equipment to be moved.

7. The linear manipulator of claim 1, further including a plastic piece positioned between the corresponding pair of rails and the pair of rail grippers.

8. The linear manipulator of claim 1, wherein the body and/or wagon is substantially made of aluminium.

9. A body for a linear manipulator, the body comprising an internal, longitudinal channel that extends parallel to an axis between two channel points, a longitudinal opening extending between the two channel points, a pair of rails connected to the body and extending parallel to the axis, a power conductor positioned inside the channel and configured and arranged for extending between the two channel points for providing power, a drag band extending parallel to the axis, wherein the pair of rails and the drag band extend between the two channel points relative to the axis.

10. Use of a linear manipulator according to claim 1 for displacing equipment.

11. The linear manipulator of claim 3, further including one or more cable chains positioned inside the channel and configured and arranged to extend between the two channel points and the signal conductor being positioned inside the one or more cable chains and the one or more cable chains being connected to the wagon.

12. The linear manipulator of claim 3, wherein the channel includes one or more tracks extending at least between the two channel points and the signal conductor being one or more strips running along the one or more tracks at least between the two channel points.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0074] Embodiments of the invention will be described in the figures, whereon:

[0075] FIG. 1 illustrates two embodiments of a body for a linear manipulator;

[0076] FIG. 2 illustrates a wagon;

[0077] FIG. 3 illustrates a body for a linear manipulator and a wagon;

[0078] FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a linear manipulator;

[0079] FIG. 5 illustrates an end view of a linear manipulator; and

[0080] FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a linear manipulator having a cable chain.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0081]

TABLE-US-00001 Item No Linear manipulator 10 Body 20 Pair of rails 22 Plastic piece 23 Channel 24 Channel points 26I, 26II Tracks 27 Opening 28 Power conductor 30 Signal conductor 32 Strips 34 Drag band 40 Wagon 50 Internal part 52 External part 54 Pair of Rail grippers 56 Band connector 58 Contacts 60 Conduit 62 Cable chain 70 Motor 90 Axis 100

[0082] FIG. 1 illustrates two embodiments of a body 20 for a linear manipulator 10 (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0083] In FIG. 1A the body 20 comprises an internal, longitudinal channel 24. The channel 24 is parallel to an axis 100 between two channel points 261, 2611.

[0084] The two channel points 261, 2611 define a distance over which the linear manipulator 10 will be able to displace equipment.

[0085] The channel 24 has a longitudinal opening 28 extending between the two channel points 261, 2611. Thereby, the channel 24 is open along the opening 28.

[0086] The body 20 comprises a pair of rails 22 connected to the body 20 and extending parallel to the axis 100. In the present embodiment the pair of rails 22 is positioned inside the channel 24 such that the rails face each other, which will make the displacement of the wagon more stable and enable the entire construct to be made more compact.

[0087] The body comprises six tracks 27 inside the channel 24, which tracks 27 extend between the two channel points 261, 2611, the tracks 27 are adapted for receiving and holding one or more strips 34 (not shown). The strips 34 will be able to transfer power and/or signal to the wagon 50.

[0088] In this embodiment three of the tracks 27 will be equipped with strips 34 for transferring power, i.e. the strips will function as power conductors 30 positioned inside the channel and they will extend at least between the two channel points 261, 2611 for providing power along this distance. Three of the tracks 27 will be equipped with strips 34 for transferring a DMX512 signal to the wagon, thus the strips 34 will be signal conductors 32.

[0089] FIG. 1B the body 20 does not comprise tracks 27 as the power and signal is to be provided to the wagon 50 and thus equipment to be moved by one or more cables positioned in a cable chain 70 (not shown, see FIG. 6). The skilled person would know how to correctly install the cable chain 70 into the channel 24. Thereby, it is able to have a signal cable such as a Cat-5 cable or the like.

[0090] FIG. 2 illustrates a wagon 50 in a side view (A) and in a perspective view (B).

[0091] The wagon 50 comprises an internal part 52 to be positioned inside a channel 24 of a body such as the body disclosed in FIG. 1. The internal part 52 is connected to an external part 54 to be positioned outside a channel of a body, such as the body disclosed in FIG. 1.

[0092] The wagon 50 further comprises a pair of rail grippers 56 adapted for slidably engaging a pair of rails 22. In this embodiment the pair of rail grippers 56 is placed at the internal part 52 as the wagon 50 is adapted for a body as shown in FIG. 1A-B.

[0093] The wagon comprises a band connector 58 adapted for connecting with a drag band 40 (not shown), in this embodiment the band connector 58 is the centre T-track. The skilled person would know how to connect the band connector 58 with a drag band 40.

[0094] The external part 50 has two recesses for connection with power and signal. The recesses may be equipped with plugs, such that equipment to be moved easily can be connected to power and signal i.e. control signal.

[0095] The external part 54 has several T-tracks for holding equipment in various positions.

[0096] The wagon 50 comprises a conduit 62 through the bottom of the internal part 52 to the external part 54. The conduit 62 is represented in FIG. 2A by a dashed line. The conduit 62 is used to pull one or more cables connecting the external part 54 of the wagon 50 to the internal part 52 of the wagon 50 and when in intended use, the conduit 62 is used to connect power conductor(s) 30 and signal conductor(s) 32 with the equipment to be moved, thereby at least limiting or preventing cables external to the linear manipulator 10 with the exception of the cables connecting the wagon and the equipment.

[0097] FIG. 3A illustrates a body 20 for a linear manipulator 10 and a wagon 50, and FIG. 3B illustrates a bottom view of the wagon 50.

[0098] The disclosed body 20 is identical to the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1A and the wagon 50 have the same technical features of the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 2.

[0099] The wagon 50 is inserted into the channel 24 along the displacement axis 100.

[0100] The pair of rail grippers 56 is equipped with four plastic pieces 23 for limiting the frictional force between the pair of rail grippers 56 and the pair of rails 22, thereby making it easier to displace the wagon 50.

[0101] The channel 24 is equipped with six tracks 27 each track having a strip 34 which may form part of a power conductor 30 or a signal conductor 32. The strips 34 are isolated from the body 20 and the skilled person would know how to isolate the strips 34 i.e. with the use of plastics or another non-conductive material.

[0102] The wagon 50 in this embodiment is holding at the internal part 52 an L-piece with three carbon contacts 60 for connecting with three strips 34 in the channel 24. The skilled person would know how to connect the three carbon contacts 60 with cables and how to pull the cable through the conduit 62 (FIG. 3B). Thereby, the equipment to be moved can be connected to power.

[0103] The wagon 50 could at the internal part 52 be holding a U-piece with three carbon contacts 60 for connecting with six strips 34 in the channel 24. The skilled person would know how to connect the three carbon contacts 60 with cables and how to pull the cable through the conduit 62 (FIG. 3B). Thereby, the equipment to be moved can be connected to power and DMX-512 control signal or any other control signal capable of being transferred over three strips.

[0104] FIG. 4 illustrates a linear manipulator 10 for a programmable stage installation.

[0105] The linear manipulator 10 comprises a body 20. The body 20 may be the embodiment disclosed in FIG. 1A or 1B.

[0106] The linear manipulator 10 comprises a wagon 50, the wagon may have the features disclosed in FIG. 2.

[0107] The linear manipulator 10 further comprises a (not shown) power conductor 30 positioned inside the channel 24 and being capable of extending between the two channel points 261, 2611 for providing power.

[0108] The linear manipulator 10 further comprises a drag band 40 extending parallel to the axis 100 between the two rollers at or near the two channel points 261, 2611.

[0109] The linear manipulator 10 further comprises a motor (90) adapted for driving the drag band 40 by being connected to one of the rollers.

[0110] FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a linear manipulator 10. The linear manipulator 10 is the front view of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 if the wagon 50 is inserted into the channel 24. However, FIG. 5 also discloses the drag band 40 attached to the roller. The linear manipulator 10 will have a roller in the opposite end, which roller would be connected to a not shown motor 90.

[0111] FIG. 6 illustrates an end view of a linear manipulator 10 where the body 20 has at least the same feature as FIG. 1B. The figure also discloses the displacement axis 100.

[0112] A drag chain 70 is positioned along the channel and is capable of extending between the two channel points 261, 2611 (Only 2611 is shown). The drag chain 70 is connected to the internal part 52 of the wagon 50.

[0113] The wagon 50 may have all the features disclosed in FIG. 2.

[0114] The wagon 50 is controllably displaced by the drag band 40 extending between two rollers wherein one roller is shown in the figure.

[0115] The drag chain 70 may have a power conductor 30 such as a power cable and/or a signal conductor 32 such as a Cat-5 cable or a DMX cable.

[0116] The power conductor 30 and/or signal conductor 32 may extend up through a not shown conduit 62 such that equipment may directly be connected to the power conductor 30 and/or signal conductor 32.